The referee who awarded Celtic a controversial penalty in their 3-2 win over Motherwell now requires police protection after his personal details were leaked online, the Scottish FA confirmed Friday.
The penalty came deep in added time when, after a VAR review, referee John Beaton ruled that Motherwell's Sam Nicholson had handled the ball, though no Celtic player appealed. Kelechi Iheanacho converted the spot-kick, keeping the title race alive with Celtic trailing leaders Heart of Midlothian by just one point heading into the final day.
"John Beaton and his family spent last night at home under police surveillance following a leak of personal details online," the Scottish FA said in a statement. The organization condemned what it called a "hysterical media narrative" fueled by post-match commentary and social media posts, warning that such vigilantism is a "scourge on our national game." The teams meet Saturday at Celtic Park.