Trusty’s ‘Tap’ – Red card ‘unless the force used was negligible’

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The Celtic Star

·8 de noviembre de 2025

Trusty’s ‘Tap’ – Red card ‘unless the force used was negligible’

Almost a week later the losers from the Glasgow Derby semi-final last week as still going on and on about Auston Trust’s yellow and not a red card issued by referee Nick Walsh – with no VAR intervention from Andrew Dallas – for the incident involving theRangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.

The rule is clear on this and we’ve shown it on The Celtic Star at the beginning of the week. Here it is again:

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Auston Trusty spoke to the media yesterday afternoon at Lennoxtown, ahead of Celtic’s home match in the Scottish Premiership tomorrow afternoon against Kilmarnock. He was of course asked about the incident at Hampden and wanted to know which one they were referring to?

When clarification was given that it was the Butland incident he was involved in himself, Trusty described it as a ‘tap’ and nothing more. No-one seems to be considering in the aftermath the last six words shown above- guilty of violent conduct (and therefore a red card ) UNLESS THE FORCE USED WAS NEGLIGIBLE.

Here’s the ‘impact’ it had on Butland, these photos of theRangers goalkeeper are from after last Sunday’s defeat to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final:

The boot of Auston Trusty of Celtic catches Jack Butland of theRangers in the head, leading to a yellow card during the Premier Sports Cup Semi Final match between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden Park on November 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Jack Butland of theRangers is seen at full time during the Premier Sports Cup Semi Final match between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden Park on November 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

There’s literally not a mark on him as you can see. The Scottish FA’s KMI panel didn’t agree and even Martin O’Neill at the time thought it would be a red card. But the decision was made by the match referee who would perhaps be more up to date with the rules that Martin, who has been doing punditry for the past decade or so.

Michael Stewart on Premier Sports last weekend didn’t think that the penalty awarded to theRangers should have been given but wanted to know, given that it was given, why Anthony Ralston wasn’t shown a second yellow card? The handball call was again subjective and a decision made by Nick Walsh that VAR left alone.

Match Referee Bobby Madden looks on during the Scottish Cup Quarter Final match between St Johnstone and Celtic at McDiarmid Park on March 01, 2020 Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

But it took former referee Bobby Madden, of all people, to remind everyone that the booking for handball that results in a penalty rule was changed two seasons ago. So Walsh made his judgement call on the penalty but was 100% correct in not issuing a second yellow to Ralston, a player who has had an eventful week.

More decisions in that match went for theRangers than against them with a trick by the media helping the momentum of their outrage. That is to ignore anything like for instance the stonewall penalty Celtic should have been given for the barge on Reo Hatate, see below….

From @ClydeSSB this evening. Listen to Liam pull the panel on lack of coverage of the stonewall Hatate penalty from the Celtic v Rangers game. Then listen to them talk absolute nonsense and dig themselves a the biggest of big holes. Unbelievable stuff.
– viernes, 7 de noviembre de 2025

Time to move on. Celtic won, live with it.

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books