Rangers and Celtic claim made by ex-referee as blue cards to be ‘recipe for disaster’
Matches such as Rangers vs Celtic clashes make the potential introduction of a blue card in football a “recipe for disaster”, according to Stuart Dougal.
The former referee told PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show on 9 February that the idea of a 10-minute sin bin, set for Ifab trials [Guardian, 8 February], isn’t helpful because it won’t work for dissent and the yellow card should be used better instead, while it would be impossible to use in key, late scenarios.
While Tam McManus was also against the idea as he felt it would further complicate matters for officials and suggested it would have to be a neutral colour for Old Firm derbies.
McManus said (3m): “I’m not for it, and particularly in Glasgow, I mean a blue card? Anywhere else you might get away with it, but not in Glasgow. There’d need to be a different colour for green and blue.”
“I can see the back page headlines week in, week out, can’t you?” replied Peter Martin.
“It’s crazy. It’s a crazy idea for me, and I don’t see it happening at all,” said McManus.
Dougal later added: “Can you imagine, 10 minutes to go in the Old Firm game? 0-0 and there’s a bit of dissent so you sent a player off for 10 minutes with a blue card? It’s a recipe for disaster as I see it.”
Rangers and Celtic scenario cited as blue cards panned
Old Firm derbies, like any high-stakes game, has plenty of potential to turn any officiating measure into a controversy and blues cards would almost certainly be no different.
On paper there is some sense in the idea of a sin bin but given how VAR has largely been fumbled by those using it and regularly upsets everyone involved a new card is bound to make matters worse.
There has been no shortage of baffling VAR decisions in meetings between the two sides of Glasgow in recent seasons, with Willie Collum the focus currently after he was assigned a Light Blues’ game (against Ayr United) for the first time since his role as the video assistant in the most recent derby and quickly ruled out an Alistair Johnston handball shout.
However, the idea that a blue card wouldn’t work in the derby because it is a Rangers colour and not Celtic’s is comparatively ridiculous.
There are plenty of teams the world over who play in red, and indeed yellow, without every single match that features them descending into an argument about bias because of the colour of the cards.
Since there is “fierce opposition” to the plans from various quarters [Telegraph, 9 February] it may not be an issue that Scottish football ever has to deal with, but widespread negativity might be the quickest way to get it introduced full time given how popular most rule changes prove to be.
In other Rangers news, two senior first team players look set to leave the club after a recent update from the manager.
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