Motherwell lose appeal against £5,000 fine over Celtic penalty post
A Scottish FA appeal panel has upheld the club's punishment for a social media video questioning a last-minute VAR-assisted penalty at Fir Park, though former midfielder Elliot Watt's four-match ban was cut to two.
By Eyob Hadgu · 7 September 2026
Fir Park, Motherwell, where the disputed penalty was awarded in May. Photo: Thomas Nugent / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Motherwell have failed in an attempt to reduce a £5,000 fine imposed over the club's reaction to a late penalty awarded to Celtic at Fir Park in May, BBC Sport reported.
A Scottish FA appeal panel upheld the original sanction, which was issued over a social media post the club published in the aftermath of referee John Beaton's VAR-assisted handball decision against Motherwell's Sam Nicholson. Kelechi Iheanacho converted the resulting spot-kick with the last kick of the match, sealing a 3-2 win for Celtic.
The club's post carried a video montage of the incident alongside the line "as the world of football mocks our game".
Watt's ban reduced
The same appeal produced a different outcome for Elliot Watt, the former Motherwell midfielder now with Samsunspor in Turkey. Watt had been suspended for four matches after posting "worst VAR decision in history" on his X account.
That punishment has been cut to a two-match ban, with a further two games suspended until the end of next season.
Both the club and the player were charged under Scottish FA rules that prohibit criticism of match officials implying "bias or incompetence".
This report draws on reporting from BBC Sport.
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