Viral pictures of John Beaton at Rangers pub remerge

The viral pictures of John Beaton at a Rangers pub have remerged as the referee is set to officiate the Celtic vs Rangers game next Saturday.

It is easy to understand why Celtic fans are not happy that John Beaton has been given the opportunity to officiate another Glasgow Derby after his performance last time around. That match from December 2018 has become infamous and largely thanks to the referee’s actions, or lack there of, on the day.

Alfredo Morelos has a penchant for picking up red cards and he probably deserved more than one of them on the day. Instead, Beaton failed to send off for a stamp on Anthony Ralston, a clash with Ryan Christie and then kicking out at Scott Brown. Any questions about him not seeing the incidents also evaporated when the SFA refused to take any retrospective action on the grounds that match referee had not missed any of the incidents and made his decisions.

Thus, it was understandable that Celtic fans were enraged when pictures emerged online of Beaton celebrating at Crown Bar, a place famous among the Rangers supporters. Claims were even made that the pictures had been taken immediately after the game.

It went as far as Chris Sutton even discussing the issue back in January of 2019 as reported by the Glasgow Times:

"I don’t know whether that is a valid photo. I don’t know. If you are telling me that he was photographed on the day in the pub then that is just sheer stupidity on his behalf. If that is true. I mean it is difficult.The truth of it is that if you are born in Glasgow then you are one side or the other. There are issues there. If he was photographed in the Rangers pub then you can understand Celtic fans feeling the way some of them do.I don’t think we can all sit here – and this is the first time I have heard it validated – and think that it is a sensible thing to do if you are refereeing in an Old Firm game to then go into a Celtic pub or a Rangers pub because it shows an allegiance.That is just sheer stupidity but I will say that the stuff and the threats which have happened are ridiculous but he hasn’t helped himself there."

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The internet never forgets. And as a result, those pictures of him apparently at Crown Bar following the game have remerged despite being the original post being deleted since. You can have a look at them for yourselves on Twitter as they were recently reuploaded by an user named Carl Jungle Boy.

John Beaton should know that every decision he makes on Saturday will be under the microscope. Any mistake he makes on the day will be magnified.

Let’s just hope that he has a much better game this time around. It is always better when the referee goes unnoticed as it means that he is not making any mistakes with his officiating. That’s all the Bhoys will ask for on Saturday from Beaton.