Referees speak about Rangers in new SFA meeting at Hampden Park

Stephen McGowan has shared that referees broke down some Rangers decisions in the latest VAR briefing at Hampden Park recently.

The SFA officials picked out the ruled-out goal against Celtic at Ibrox, and the Abdallah Sima goal that was given despite the uproar against Livingston.

The Scottish Daily Mail journalist admitted that VAR is so subjective and while that is there, it will be “doomed” in the Scottish Premiership.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Journos for PLZ Soccer on YouTube, McGowan shared what was said at Hampden in the recent briefing.

“I went to an SFA VAR briefing at Hampden a couple of weeks ago,” he said.

“The referees, we had Nick Walsh and Greg Aitken were running through the most contentious incidents in Scottish football over the last 11/12 games and they went over the one where Rangers had a goal chalked off in the Old Firm and explained why it couldn’t be a goal and what have you.

“They held their hands up to some and what really got me about the independent review panel was, remember the goal Rangers got against Livingston?

“Was it a push, for me that was one of the most egregious examples we’ve seen this season, irrespective of who the teams was, it was just a bad situation, and the goal was given, Nick Walsh was the VAR that night and in hindsight, I think he would look back and think I didn’t get that right.

“The independent review panel decided it was fine, so the whole thing is just so completely subjective, that we will never find agreement and as long as there is subjective, it’s doomed.”

Doomed?

Officiating in Scotland has long been under the microscope, and that was even before VAR was voted in and installed last season by the clubs.

Rangers are always at the heart of that too, with fans of other clubs crying and trying to create some sort of conspiracy against the Bears as they earn penalties while dominating games.

The two incidents discussed above were before Philippe Clement came into the club, and he is much calmer regarding the controversy in games that happen nearly every week.

Take the Jose Cifuentes red card for example after the technology stepped in, the Belgian was not happy and did appeal, but once that was rejected, he moved on, albeit slightly baffled.

VAR is here to stay, and even with the officials trying to explain decisions, they will never get every single fan or club on board really, and that has to be accepted.

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