Rangers mired in more controversy as ex-FIFA ref refutes Sky Sports claim
Motherwell rightfully had their third goal disallowed in the 2-2 draw against Rangers in the SPFL, according to Keith Hackett.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos gave Motherwell the lead in the most contentious of circumstances at Fir Park on Sunday (29 December) on the way to a surprise draw – which could have been more – to pile further pressure on Philippe Clement at Ibrox.
However, the Steelmen had a third goal disallowed for a foul on Jack Butland, a decision James McFadden disagreed with live on Sky Sports Football (29 December, 5:22pm), but former FIFA referee Hackett has spoken out in support of the on-field decision.
“This is a problem in the game at the moment,” Hackett exclusively told Ibrox News.
“Any interference with the goalkeeper while in the sky, in that situation, puts him off. There’s a real inconsistency with referees. It’s a tough call.
“What I’ll say is I’ve seen a worse situation in the Premier League this weekend and it wasn’t given as a free-kick. It shows there’s an inconsistency across the board in terms of how referees interpret it.
“The question is whether the Motherwell player has impacted the keeper, and this little nudge does that. I side with the referee on this one.”
Rangers escape another SPFL loss against Motherwell
Hackett is right on the money with this one.
Indeed, Butland got it all wrong from the corner kick, and the contact with Tony Watts is soft, but as is the law of the game, any attempt to obstruct the goalkeeper will be awarded a foul.
Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell received his marching orders not long after the goal was chalked off after a disagreement with the officials, and will undoubtedly feel his side should have taken the three points on Sunday.
Clement will be the most relieved man in Glasgow – the Gers can thank Hamza Igamane for single-handedly clawing back the two-goal deficit, but the overall performance was abysmal.
As long as Rangers allow officiating decisions to dictate results, they will never indeed be in a position to mount a challenge to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
And now, with a 14-point gap separating the sides in Glasgow, this year’s crown is already decided.
In other Rangers news, Borna Barisic can help Philippe Clement offload a Rangers ace in January.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.