Rangers' Fan Advisory Board has launched a scathing attack on Scottish officiating and called for an independent review due to what they claim is a pattern of 'perplexing' decisions against their tam.
It comes in the wake of Sunday's Premier Sports Cup final defeat to Celtic in which Auston Trusty remained on the pitch despite a boot to Jack Butland's head in a very late challenge.
The Ibrox club have sought an explanation from the Scottish FA but may have to wait until head of referee operations Willie Collum appears on the VAR Review with Gordon Duncan later his month.
The Rangers FAB say they do not expect an apology to be forthcoming given they are still awaiting one from last season's League Cup final against the same opponent. They describe the Trusty decision as 'inexplicable' but say it is just the tip of the iceberg.
In a lengthy statement, SFA officials are accused of being 'not fit for purpose' and it is claimed an independent review is the only way to "repair the damage caused."
Read more
Rangers FAB statment in full
"Rangers fans are still waiting for Willie Collum and the SFA’s refereeing department to apologise following the abysmal performance of their team, publicly admitted, in last season’s League Cup final.
"Despite their mea culpa, we didn’t hold our breath for an apology then and we won’t be holding it now following yet another erratic, dysfunctional and error-strewn performance in Sunday’s League Cup semi-final.
"The time for apologies has long since come and gone. Only a fully independent review of the standards, structures and performance at all levels of the SFA’s refereeing department can repair the damage caused - if it isn’t already irreparable- by too many woeful on field decisions.
"This is frequently compounded by the judgement calls by a group of VAR officials whose performance levels suggest they are no longer fit for purpose, if they ever were in the first place.
"The inexplicable decision not to at least call for a VAR review when Jack Butland was kicked in the head in first half injury time at Hampden was as negligent as the decision by referee Nick Walsh not to issue a straight red card in the first place was worrying.
"It defies belief that Walsh could deem the incident only worthy of a caution when a significantly less serious clash involving Mohamed Diomande at Dundee United last season resulted in a red card, even after a VAR review.
"Sunday’s incident is the latest in a line of perplexing, head-scratching decisions awarded against Rangers, particularly in Old Firm matches, since the introduction of VAR three years ago.
"The SFA conceded there were 26 incorrect decisions made by VAR last season. Rangers were on the receiving end of five, more than any other Scottish club.
"Too often, as witnessed in the aftermath of last season’s League Cup final, poor performances go largely unchecked, the pool of allegedly capable officials so small they are quickly welcomed back into the fold while supporter anger and frustration still burns.
"We know followers of many other clubs in Scotland share our serious misgivings around the quality and accountability of refereeing in this country.
"Collum talks a good game but the evidence does not suggest his tenure as Head of Refereeing is making any difference whatsoever to the standards and consistency of performance from his teams, particularly on high pressure occasions.
"Collum has spoken about embracing change and improving transparency, even if much of his dialogue with the Scottish football public is from carefully scripted YouTube performances.
"If he really believed in best practice he should have no issues with backing an independent review into his department, looking at all aspects of refereeing including, as we see it, a flawed VAR regime, with all the resulting errors that involves.
"We’re happy to meet with him any time - unscripted - to voice our concerns on behalf of Rangers fans after yet another shocking call against us in a Scottish football showpiece that deserves better than the refereeing and VAR errors we are too often being forced to endure."
Share