There's nothing like the calm after a stormy weekend of controversial football action in Scotland.
And believe me, the Hotline was NOTHING like calm after the storm.
Keyboards were clattered and voices raised with Hibs fans - and Celtic’s claiming loud and long that Rangers get too many dodgy refereeing decisions. Rangers fans are having none of it, funnily enough.
Let’s get to it.
Frank McFerran, Carrickfergus emailed: “Two crazy results, both Celtic and Rangers were fortunate to win. Rangers are not playing well and Porteous made it easier for Rangers to score. As a Rangers fan his stupidity suited me.”
George Wilson, West Sussex emailed: “As forecast, Hibs and Motherwell were unable to maintain their challenge at the top although Hibs are and have been the next best team to Rangers for the last two seasons. A win for Rangers against Hearts next will open up a four-point gap then Rangers will gradually pull away. And please spare us the Rangers help from referees nonsense.
“Porteous has history with Rangers and other clubs for dangerous tackles and deserved what he got. I also watched Aberdeen v Celtic and neither of these two are any longer a threat to Rangers, particularly with Celtic’s present appalling back four.”
Kenny Wilson, Moffat , said: “So as usual Rangers get their helping hand from the referee when they’re struggling in a game. If it’s not an offside goal it’s giving them a man advantage at the first opportunity. Wasn’t a great tackle from Porteous but was never a red card.”
Henry Moffat, Stirling , isn’t having the Porteous red card. He emailed: “The amount of refereeing decisions swinging games in Rangers favour is utterly laughable. The offside goal against Motherwell and the Jon McLaughlin and Ryan Porteous red card incidents... it’s every game, while Celtic get what would have been a winner wrongly ruled out v Hearts. And the best argument their fans can put up is Jullien’s goal in the final 2 years ago!”
And John Morgan , Armadale said: “I don’t understand why the SFA could give a big important game to a novice referee (Nick Walsh) who was so frightened of the hostile fans, he ruined an important game as Hibernian and Rangers went toe to toe.
“Rangers at the time were struggling and a goal down, this so-called ref changed the entire game with a decision he thought would please the Rangers fans.
“Steven Gerrard complained about the leg-breaking tackle, why can he never say the other team played well. All of a sudden the Rangers player was able to play on, after this leg-breaking tackle.
“Roll on the semi -inal, with a real referee and eleven players.”
Hibs fan Brian Stavert, Dumbarton , emailed: “Is Gerrard having a laugh, fist pumping around the ground after beating us with 10 men. You would have thought they had won their second title. Let’s see him do that at Hampden next month when we have 11 on the park.”
But Robert Livingston, Palm Beach disagreed, saying: “I understand why Gerrard celebrated like he won a cup final, he is under a bit of pressure with the side not at their best. It’s a must win game and coming from behind to win it released the tension and pressure that has been building so he had to celebrate that hard fought victory.”
Gordon Ashley, Ayr, emailed: “Bobby Madden’s performance at the weekend was a disgrace. Not for the first time this season fouls were awarded for every challenge by a Celtic player while similar tackles on our players went unpunished. This now a regular thing with us being punished for challenges more than any other team in the league and Ryan Porteous’ tackle was never a red.”
Don’t think you can hang that one on Bobby Madden, Gordon!
Dons fans Derek Hay, Fife, took issue with Madden for a different reason, emailing: “Dons lost the game v Celtic due to a poor first half display. But I’ve no idea who told Madden he’s a ref, or why it took him 66 minutes to book Jota for his ninth foul on Calvin Ramsay.”
Jimmy Mac, Glasgow, said: “Scottish referees need to clamp down hard on the blatant cheating that goes on within the game.
"Hearts player Cammy Devlin admits he dived on Saturday, saying: ‘Yeah, I threw my body to the ground as soon as I felt a touch! But you’ve got to do that.’ Then he states its part of the game?
“It may be a part of his and others’ game but diving is cheating in anyone’s book and has innocent players ordered off.
"When caught it should be an automatic red, not a slap on the wrist with a yellow card.
“Football is a contact sport, that’s why we love the game but cheating never has been a part of the beautiful game.”
John Bruce emailed: “The Rangers v Hibs game was billed as a top of the table clash. It will now be known as a bruising encounter, with one wild red card and four yellows from Hibs in the first half alone. But Rangers fans will be happy as their team sit proudly at the top of the table.
“No doubt Celtic fans will also be happy at how their team fought to stay in the top six at Pittodrie. After their 4-0 humiliation on Thursday, their first away win since February will have given them a boost and they must now see themselves as contenders for a top four finish at the end of the season.”
Drew Ferguson, Oban, said: “Keith Jackson seems concerned that Steven Gerrard constantly changes personnel and cannot get a settled team. Can I ask Keith how does he do that when players like Goldson, Kent and Jack get hurt, and players like Hagi get Covid and 36 year olds are asked to play a second game within three days?”
Neil Doncaster should look away now... Iain Kilgallon, Dunoon , emailed: “So the most inept leader in the history of our game now wants to bring in the hugely costly VAR, which has so many people switching off from football down south and saying it completely ruins the game that they won’t be back?
“Never mind that our top flight needs complete restructuring, as does the worst promotion/relegation set up on earth, he still allows artificial pitches in our top flight which makes our game look a joke round the world and he is so out of his depth that he continually sells our game hugely short in terms of sponsorship, unless you think a deal half the size of the Belgian league is a good deal, and now he completely bypasses all these huge failings and wants to spend the pennies we do have on this?
“Neil Doncaster is so out of his depth. The only VAR I want him involved with is ‘Vehicle At Reception’ at his office, in a driverless car (which our game feels like under his ‘leadership’) programmed to take him back to England, so we can all say goodbye and good riddance. His term in control is like a never ending nightmare.”
Finally, Arthur Wyllie emailed: “When will the authorities clamp down and stop the so-called Celtic supporters from chanting all their pro-IRA rubbish?”
