Hampden Park controversy slammed as ‘genuinely pathetic’ as ‘abuse’ feared after Rangers dump Hearts out – Jonny McFarlane
Controversy over the fourth official’s apparent reaction to the second Rangers goal against Hearts on Sunday is “genuinely pathetic”, according to Jonny McFarlane.
The Herald journalist reacted on Twitter after the Light Blues’ 3-1 victory on 5 November, to send them into the Viaplay Cup final, blasting the “embarrassing” possibility that David Dickinson will face abuse for appearing to smile and nod at Philippe Clement after Scott Wright scored [Daily Record, 5 November].
McFarlane suggested that the reaction the official is likely to get would be an overreaction as nobody knows the context to it.
McFarlane wrote: “Genuinely pathetic and embarrassing a man is going to get hounded and abused because of a 1-second smile that there is almost zero context about.”
Conspiracy theory
Officiating seems to be under fire from all angles at the moment in various leagues and multiple sports, and often there is reason for it given the baffling decisions on display.
Dickinson’s brief reaction to Clement is exactly the sort of thing that supporters, and increasingly coaches and clubs, are bound to seize upon as evidence of a grand conspiracy against them.
However, quite what influence the fourth official is supposed to have had on a goal from open play on Sunday even if he was well-disposed towards Rangers isn’t actually clear.
The fact that the Light Blues have been awarded three penalties against the Jambos in eight days will no doubt be used as further evidence of supposed corruption, even though the likes of Michael Stewart, hardly a staunch Gers defender, agreed with the late one in the league victory last weekend were justified, and Steven Naismith didn’t have a problem with the one James Tavernier scored in the cup [Sky Sports, 5 November].
He was unhappy that it took a VAR review to overturn a red card for his side to get it, but despite Lawrence Shankland’s late consolation from the spot it is hard to argue that Clement’s men didn’t deserve to reach the final.
Naismith suggested both Rangers and Celtic had been given the benefit of the doubt in recent decisions against Hearts, and on the weight of evidence from leagues across the world the biggest sides do in fairness probably get that more often than others.
It’s quite possible that Gers supporters would be up in arms if the roles were reversed, but Dickinson can’t be abused over it, especially, as McFarlane says, without real context.
In other Rangers news, the club have already been turned down by a “perfect” sporting director despite denials from Ibrox over the ongoing links.