Foundation of Hearts 'extremely concerned' by refereeing decisions

Hearts' fan owners have expressed "extreme concerns" over refereeing decisions in the title run-in.

Celtic faced the task of needing a three-goal win over long-time leaders Hearts on Saturday before a controversial last-gasp penalty award allowed the defending champions to snatch a dramatic winner at Motherwell on Wednesday night.

Now any victory will do for Celtic in the title decider, while Hearts can win the league by avoiding defeat.

Hearts boss Derek McInnes branded the spot-kick award "disgusting", with his frustration compounded by his belief his side should have had at least one penalty in a draw at Fir Park last weekend.

And there was controversy in Celtic's win over Rangers on Sunday when Alistair Johnston escaped with a yellow card for a challenge on Mikey Moore and Benjamin Nygren was ruled not to be interfering with play when standing in an offside position at Yang Hyun-jun's equaliser.

A statement from the Foundation of Hearts, the club's majority shareholder, said: "All of us at the FoH congratulate our magnificent team and manager, Derek McInnes, on their outstanding achievements in this momentous season, and urge all Heart of Midlothian supporters to get right behind them for Saturday's final game of the campaign.

"We have, however, been extremely concerned by a number of refereeing and VAR decisions across the last two rounds of fixtures, which have had a significant impact on outcomes for Hearts and others.

"That this has occurred at such a crucial stage of the season is particularly disappointing. We understand that the club shares these concerns and has made representations to the football authorities seeking clarification on recent decisions.

"At a time when Scottish football is subject to heightened scrutiny, both nationally and internationally, it is important that confidence in officiating standards is maintained.

"We therefore call on those responsible for the officiating of Saturday's match to ensure that the highest standards of decision-making are applied, so that the game is decided by the players on the pitch and the team is given the fair opportunity it has earned."