Motherwell's Elliot Watt handed four-match ban for 'worst VAR decision in history' comment
Motherwell midfielder Elliot Watt has been suspended for four games after admitting to breaching Scottish FA rules for his X post calling a penalty decision against Celtic 'the worst VAR decision in history'. The club was fined £5,000.
Motherwell midfielder Elliot Watt has received an immediate four-match suspension after admitting charges related to post-match comments following May's defeat by Celtic. The 26-year-old posted on X describing the award of a late penalty as "the worst VAR decision in history".
Kelechi Iheanacho converted the spot-kick after Sam Nicholson was ruled to have handled the ball, giving the eventual Scottish Premiership champions a 3-2 win at Fir Park on 13 May. Watt, who had opened the scoring, was charged with breaching the Scottish FA's disciplinary rule 72, which forbids players from criticising officials' decisions or making comments that impinge on a referee's character.
Motherwell were also charged with the same breach and fined £5,000 for a post-match club statement that read: "As the world of football mocks our game, we simply have to draw a line in the sand and shift the focus." SFA head of refereeing Willie Collum, in his regular review of key incidents, stated that the penalty award was the correct decision.
Former Hearts head coach Derek McInnes, whose team lost the title on the final day, was cited for calling the decision "disgusting". His hearing is set for 22 July. In Motherwell's final league game of last season, a 1-0 win over Hibernian, Watt was sent off after two bookings and is therefore suspended for five domestic matches.
However, Watt will be eligible for Motherwell's upcoming Conference League fixtures. Alfred Johansson's side face Faroese club Havnar Boltfelag in the second qualifying round on 23 and 30 July. The midfielder, who was voted into the Premiership's PFA team of the year last season, has been linked with a transfer to Turkish club Samsunspor.
