The two Video Assistant Referees (VAR) in the League Cup final were brought back for the December games, and Rangers claim they have “contacted the Scottish Football Association to express serious concerns and ask several questions” in response.
Willie Collum, the SFA’s head of referee operations, had stated that Frank Connor and Alan Muir had made a “really, really poor” and “unacceptable” decision by not giving Rangers a penalty kick against Celtic in the final on December 15. The Bhoys won the match on penalties following a 3-3 draw.
The incident in question involved Vaclav Cerny being pulled by Liam Scales after a free kick was given.
Neither Connor, nor Muir, featured in Friday, Saturday or Sunday’s top-flight games.
Connor, on the other hand, will serve as an assistant referee for the Thursday match between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen and the Sunday match between Celtic and St Johnstone. Muir will be on VAR duty for the Sunday match between St Mirren and Dundee.
“We also note one of the officials has been appointed to an SPFL Premiership match involving the club that benefited from the error,” the Rangers stated in a statement.
“The Scottish FA’s actions call into doubt their dedication to promoting accountability and raising officiating standards.
“The Scottish FA’s credibility and public trust are directly impacted by how it handles such high-profile errors, even though Rangers FC completely respects the independence of officiating appointments and the requirement that referees function without interference.
“The decision to promptly restore the officials has garnered a lot of media attention to the officiating failure and the officials involved, especially for a match involving the team that profited from the error in question. This was avoidable and expected, and it goes against the Scottish FA’s claimed duty of care to its match officials.
Rangers acknowledged that “mistakes do happen in football,” but they also stated that “how they are handled matters a great deal.”
“We would strongly want the Scottish FA to show that it is committed to raising the standard and reliability of officiating in an open and honest way.
“Our goal is to promote higher standards and accountability, not to question the legitimacy of the Scottish FA or the independence or integrity of match officials. Influence is not the issue here. It has to do with sound government.
“Rangers FC expects tangible steps to be taken and remains committed to holding the Scottish FA accountable in the interests of the game.”
A response has been requested from the SFA.
