Rangers are refusing to let up as the SFA play hardball over VAR audio and the IFAB rules turn up the Hampden heat on a penalty call in the Old Firm defeat to Celtic.
The Gers requested to hear the recorded audio for a penalty incident in the first half of the eventual 2-1 defeat, Alistair Johnston blatantly handling the ball in the box and away from Abdallah Sima.
The incident was subject to a quick VAR check at the time with a goal kick being awarded despite replays showing that Johnston had panicked and reacted to handle the ball.
Later in the match, a still image of Abdallah Sima apparently being offside in the build-up to the incident was shared as justification for the penalty call being denied.
Reports have also claimed that Willie Collum in the VAR room – a referee who has had regular run-ins with Rangers over the years – didn’t see a “clear and obvious” error in denying the penalty kick.
Rangers “concerned” with SFA penalty response
The situation incensed Philippe Clement at full-time who has not let up in demanding a better explanation for the situation with Rangers asking for transparency and clarity with the audio.
They’ve been met with resistance by the SFA and the officials, who’ve sought to deny Rangers access to the communications, which would confirm if the offside was discussed by the officials at the time.
If this is not the case, it would suggest the officials scrambled to cover up the mistake after criticism from the likes of the Ibrox manager began to mount.
The SFA are also refusing to meet with Rangers until Wednesday, with the Ibrox side describing this as “clearly unacceptable” due to the “urgency” of the situation.
“Rangers officials stand ready to meet in-person or virtually with the Scottish FA at any time to hear and discuss the audio,” reads a statement from a spokesperson.
“However, the Scottish FA are refusing to both share the VAR audio and meet until at least Wednesday, five days after the Old Firm match and after the next round of Scottish Premiership fixtures.
“This is clearly unacceptable and heightens Rangers’ concerns over the lack of transparency, for which the need is urgent.
“Rangers have learned no penalty was awarded as the VAR official, Willie Collum, concluded a handball offence had not occurred in the first half.
“While the club and most observers are astonished by this ‘professional’ view, we remain perplexed and concerned about the Scottish FA’s motivations for sharing an offside image with broadcasters during the second half, when this was not the original reason why the penalty was not awarded.
“England’s Premier League and other leading European Leagues operate on a ‘nothing to hide’ basis, where open communication and full transparency are available to clubs and the public on contentious VAR calls in a timely manner.
“On a weekend where not only Rangers but also fellow Scottish FA member clubs have major questions over potentially match-changing incidents, our governing body would do well to heed that same mantra.”
Are refereeing conspiracies aiding Celtic?
The entire thing is complicated by a series of – quite frankly – ridiculous conspiracy theories which suggest referees, VAR, and the SFA engineer decisions to benefit Rangers and give the Ibrox side penalty kicks.
This has led a series of controversial VAR calls in recent Old Firm matches, with the decision to deny Alfredo Morelos a goal from Parkhead last season and Kemar Roofe at Ibrox earlier in this season almost universally decried as incorrect after the games.
Reports too have pointed to the IFAB rules, which appear to suggest Willie Collum and Nick Walsh came to the wrong decision.
The rules state: “It is not an offside offence so the referee allows play to continue. The attacking player is only penalised if he/she plays the ball or interferes with an opponent.”
This means that regardless of whether or not a player is offside, if a foul is committed it supersedes this unless the player directly interferes with play.
With the match at 1-0 to Celtic, the penalty could’ve seen Rangers level at half-time.
Fundamentally, VAR is supposed to ensure that the officials get more decisions correct and yet we will continue to see pressure applied whenever decisions favour the Ibrox side.
There is clear and obvious pressure on officials to pacify the madness of these conspiracies and Rangers are quite right to demand an explanation into what is a clear balls-up of the entire process.
There have been far too many big decisions go against Rangers in recent Old Firm matches in particular and it’s time for clarity, transparency and some responsibility from those at the top of the SFA.
