Alan Shearer said even as a neutral he could “not accept” the decision he felt cost Hearts the chance to become champions of Scotland for the first time in 66 years.
The Jambos eventually finished two points behind Celtic after an agonising 3-1 defeat in Saturday’s decider at Celtic Park.
But there was major controversy on the penultimate night of the season last Wednesday when Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson was contentiously deemed to have handled the ball and Martin O’Neill’s Hoops were awarded a stoppage-time penalty which allowed them to win the game 3-2.
If that match at Fir Park had finished 2-2, Hearts would only have needed to avoid a three-goal defeat on the last day to win the William Hill Premiership.
“People have not seen their club win a trophy perhaps ever, yet that title up in Scotland was decided by that decision,” former England striker Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast.
Read more
-
Celtic star hailed as 'special' by Martin O'Neill in behind-the-scenes footage
-
Celtic-daft pundit doubles down on VAR call, calls out media 'scientists'
-
Celtic support group call out 'overblown' reaction to Parkhead pitch invasion
“I’m not even involved in it and I don’t watch a lot of Scottish football, but clearly this season I think it’s been really interesting because of what Hearts have done.
“For that decision to go for Celtic as it did, I just do not accept it. I’m not a Hearts fan, so I can imagine how angry they are up there.”
Podcast host and fellow former England striker Gary Lineker was similarly infuriated.
“It actually got me quite cross watching that because I just thought that whole season was decided…” said Lineker.
“It was extraordinary. He quite clearly headed it. If that had hit his hand, there’s no way it would have travelled the 20-odd yards that it did.
“We’ve got no skin in the game, obviously, there, but you just look at it and think, that was wrong. I mean, that was so wrong.
“And then Celtic beat them right at the end and if that scoreline had been the case and that hadn’t have been given, they would have won the league, obviously.”
