Rangers have expressed “serious concerns” after two VAR referees involved in the League Cup final loss to Celtic were returned to the top-flight.
The conduct of VAR Alan Muir and his assistant Frank Connor during the match at Hampden Park was “unacceptable”, according to Scottish FA referees chairman Willie Collum. He said he missed last weekend’s domestic duty after making a mistake.
Celtic defender Liam Scales brought down Vaclav Czerny in the first half of extra time, with on-field referee John Beaton ruling the incident occurred outside the box.
Video showed the foul appeared to have been on the penalty box line, but Muir and Connor did not overturn the on-field decision. The score was 3-3 in overtime before the Rangers lost in a penalty shootout. .
Collum added: “It was not a difficult decision for the VAR team and there was not enough forensics in the analysis.”
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Sky Sports News’ Gordon Duncan has all the details after SFA referee chairman Willie Collum admitted Rangers should have been awarded a penalty against Celtic in the League Cup final.
In the aftermath, Gers manager Philip Clement said it was “really strange” that Muir and Conor had not intervened, while new club CEO Patrick Stewart called for clarification on the incident. Rangers described the incident as “damaging the credibility of Scottish football more broadly”.
Now, following Muir’s appointment as VAR for St Mirren v Dundee on December 29, Connor will touchline as an assistant referee at Rugby Park for Kilmarnock v Aberdeen on Boxing Day and at Celtic Park when Celtic host St Johnstone on December 29. returned to Rangers strike again at SFA.
Commitments affect ‘trustworthiness and confidence’
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New Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart (pictured here arriving at Ibrox for his first role in the role) has asked the SFA for an explanation of the incident.
The statement is as follows: “Rangers FC has contacted the Scottish FA to express our serious concerns and ask several questions regarding the speedy return of two VAR officials involved in refereeing failures in the recent Premier Sports Cup final. We have also contacted the Scottish FA, who said: Appointed for SPFL Premiership matches involving clubs that benefited from errors.
“The actions of the Scottish FA raise questions about their efforts to improve refereeing standards and increase accountability. Rangers FC fully respects the independence of referee appointments and the need for referees to operate without interference, but these significant failures by the Scottish FA How it is handled directly affects its credibility and public trust.
“The decision to reinstate the officials too quickly, particularly for a match involving a club that benefited from the mistakes in question, sparked widespread media scrutiny of the officiating failure and the officials involved. This was predictable and avoidable. It contradicts everything the Scottish FA has stated about its duty of care to match officials.
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Rangers manager Philippe Clement speaks after Scottish FA referees chairman Willie Collum admitted he should have been awarded a penalty in the League Cup final loss to Celtic.
“Errors do happen in football and how they are addressed is vital. We urge the Scottish Football Association to demonstrate its commitment to improving the quality and consistency of refereeing and to doing so in a transparent manner. We are committed to challenging authority. This is not about ensuring the integrity of the Scottish FA or the independence of match officials, but about promoting improved standards and accountability.
“Rangers FC expects practical action to be taken and remains committed to holding the Scottish FA accountable for the good of the game.”
Sky Sports News I contacted the Scottish FA.
