Scottish officials make new SFA demand after Hampden talks amid Rangers Old Firm VAR controversy
Scottish referees have demanded greater support from the SFA after recent VAR controversies, including the decision to not award Rangers a penalty in the Old Firm derby, according to BBC Sport.
The broadcaster reported on its website (15 January) that officials and the Scottish governing body met at Hampden on Sunday (14 January) to discuss several key issues, including recent VAR calls.
Some of the referees believe that the SFA’s handling of the decision to not award Rangers a penalty during their clash with Celtic in December alongside other big calls has left referees in line for criticism from both clubs and the media.
Referees also said that they would be willing to release VAR audio to clubs if they received a higher match fee in turn, with the SFA requiring permission from UEFA to release audio publicly.
One official was quoted saying: “The leadership have no idea of the pressures we are under and they’re just not prepared to support us properly. We need more investment and better training.
“They rely on a lot of goodwill from the referees but they seriously fail to understand the pressures that come with the profile.
“VAR has only increased that and we sometimes feel like an afterthought.”
In line for criticism
It seems that it is not only football supporters, players and managers who have become frustrated by the SFA’s actions as now the referees have even begun to voice their frustrations with the governing body.
The referees have deserved some criticism so far this season as almost every match week has brought with it another contentious call or big mistake from an official, but the SFA have failed to back their referees and have often hung them out to dry.
This just shows how poorly managed the entirety of the Scottish football pyramid currently is as none of the bits of the game are working alongside one another. Something has to change sooner rather than later for the good of Scottish football.
If the SFA provide the better investment and training officials want, maybe their decision-making will improve and the teams and supporters will benefit from a more consistent game. But things need to start moving in the right direction.
In other Rangers news, one Daily Record journalist has suggested that the Light Blues could make a further three additions this month