Michael Stewart clashes with James McFadden on BBC Sportscene over Rangers incident against St Johnstone
Michael Stewart and James McFadden have clashed on BBC Sportscene over the penalty awarded to Rangers against St Johnstone, but found common ground in the need for the handball law to be looked at.
The Light Blues went ahead after a quarter of an hour when James Tavernier scored from the spot on Saturday, after James Brown was penalised by Willie Collum for a handball.
The Saints defender had his arm in the air but the ball did bounce of Connor Goldson at close range, which led to a disagreement between the two pundits over the decision, on a day where the home side were comfortable 2-0 winners amid plenty of officiating controversy.
Speaking live on BBC Sportscene on Saturday night (28 January, 8.04pm) Stewart said: “For me it’s not a penalty kick, for a couple of reasons. Everything that James Brown does here is completely normal.”
“It’s impossible for him to react and do anything other than what transpires… I think it’s a harsh penalty to be given against.”
McFadden then interjected in favour of it being a penalty and the two squabbled over the legitimacy of the award.
McFadden: “His arm’s up and outstretched. That’s the law.”
Stewart: “It’s a consequence of his body movement.”
McFadden: “Yeah but it’s not natural. You don’t go running about with your hands up in the air.”
Stewart: “He’s not running about, he’s moving.”
McFadden: “But you still don’t do it with your hand up like that.”
Stewart: “You do! You do!”
Host Steven Thompson helpfully chimed in: “You do if you’re trying to catch a balloon.”
McFadden: “Because of where his hand is, that’s why Willie Collum has given it.”
Stewart: “I agree it’s why he’s given it but I don’t agree with him.”
McFadden suggested the law needed to be looked at, to which Stewart responded: “That’s a fair point. Literally, with the hand ball law at the moment you could toss a coin and say that will be given or it won’t.
“That there for me, his arm is in absolutely a normal position for what he’s doing there… That is normal so that for me wouldn’t be a penalty kick, but you literally could toss a coin. Next week that exact same thing could happen and it wouldn’t be given.”
Six of one
It is true that the law should probably be assessed and simplified, since they are sort of both right.
Brown couldn’t be expected to react quickly enough after the ball came off Goldson, which is enough for some penalties not to be given.
But his arm was up in the air, above shoulder height, which sees plenty given. The problem seems to be that, as with the two pundits, referees will focus on one element of the rule at different times, and another one at others.
Goldson of course sparked a week of outrage towards Rangers when he wasn’t penalised for handball in the Old Firm derby, but his hands were guarding his face so it was allowed.
Everybody can remember one bit of the rule, but don’t necessarily know all of it, while referees should know all of it but often seem to prioritise one bit, so nobody really ends up satisfied.
Stewart is no doubt accurate that an extremely similar incident will soon be let slide, but perhaps it is simply a judgement call and can never be made a uniform.
What was beyond doubt was the Bears captain dispatching it emphatically on the way to another win under Michael Beale, as the rebound continues at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton was outraged over the potential of a penalty against the Gers as well.