Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Stewart Wilson

Peter Grant in 'no doubt' Alistair Johnston handball was Rangers penalty

Former Celtic player Peter Grant admitted his relief at Alistair Johnston not being awarded a penalty against him for a handball during the Parkhead side's 2-1 win over Rangers, saying he has "no doubt" the incident was a spot kick.

The decision was made not to award a penalty after an offside was spotted in the build up to the Canadian hitting the ball out of play with his hand.

This had led to the Ibrox side releasing a statement demanding the VAR audio is released from the incident.

While on Sportscene Grant queried why, if an outside had been spotted, was there not a free kick or corner given after the incident.

"I was delighted! When it came back, it was a penalty kick when you look at it, the hand puts the ball out the pitch. There's absolutely no doubt about it," Grant told BBC.

"We didn't realise that there was an offside decision before it and that's why everybody's questioning what happened, why it wasn't a penalty and we realise later it's offside.

"That's why there's a problem with the VAR situation because not everyone is aware of what's happening.

"It gives you a big problem, gives the referee a problem, but then they go and take a by kick as well which tells me it wasn't offside.

"Is that them clutching at straws? I don't know because you're looking at it now and thinking they've taken the game on, played a by kick, all leading to that wasn't handball, that's the only thing they've seen.

"It was interesting, I was very pleased it wasn't, but Alistair Johnston was going through a sticky time at that period.

"He was giving the ball away, big Stephen Welsh got injured through him giving the ball away and that'd have summed up his first-half

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.