Simon Jordan hits out at what Rangers have done after Celtic controversy – ‘Nonsense’
Simon Jordan has suggested that Rangers had ulterior motives with their statement criticising the officials in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final.
Rangers released a statement criticising the Scottish FA on Monday, after expressing their frustration at an incident in which Auston Trusty was shown a yellow card for kicking Jack Butland in the head.
The Gers goalkeeper already had both hands on the ball before the Celtic defender raised his foot, but the video assistant referee decided against intervening further.
Rangers were beaten 3-1 by Celtic, after going a man down themselves in the first half.
Thelo Aasgaard was sent off against Celtic, after the Norwegian had caught Anthony Ralston high up on the leg while stretching for the ball.
Simon Jordan not convinced by Rangers’ statement
The Rangers statement specifically mentioned the incident between Trusty and Butland, which had sparked huge debate.
“Club representatives met with the Scottish FA this evening to seek explanations for major decisions in the match, including the incident involving Jack Butland and Auston Trusty,” Rangers said.
“Following that meeting, we remain unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision in that incident, the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently robust or thorough.“
Jordan was not convinced by the statement, however, and questioned the motivations behind it.
“If the refereeing standard is not high, and the other clubs in the league concur with that,” the former Crystal Palace chairman told talkSPORT on Tuesday.
“Then they have every right to start saying to the governing body that deals with the refereeing standard, whether it’s the PGMOL or its alternative in Scotland, we’ve got to get our standards higher.
“I often think that is not the motivation. The motivation is a deflection from something that’s not happening in their world.
“If Rangers were going great guns, winning games and the team was flying at the top of the league, we probably wouldn’t hear these noises. But it has to also be considered in the rounds, it’s very easy in an isolated conversation to say ‘this is nonsense’.”
- Read more: Neil Lennon shares what Danny Rohl must do as Michael Stewart reveals new Rangers concern
What did Danny Rohl say about the key decisions vs Celtic?
Danny Rohl refused to join in with the criticism of referee Nick Walsh following full-time on Sunday.
The German, when asked about the decisions, said: “I haven’t watched the red card back yet but that’s the ref. It’s not my part to speak about this.
| Rangers – fixtures | Date |
| Roma (H) | 6 Nov |
| Dundee (A) | 9 Nov |
| Livingston (H) | 22 Nov |
| Braga (H) | 27 Nov |
| Falkirk (H) | 30 Nov |
“My focus is always on myself. I said before the game, I won’t speak about other managers, other teams or refs.”
That opinion is clearly not shared by those above Rohl at Rangers, however, with the debate set to rage on in the coming days.
This isn’t the first time it has happened with Rangers on the biggest stage, with the disgraceful actions in the 2024 Premier Sports Cup final.
If these meetings and statements are not making a positive change, something bigger needs to happen, and it needs to be done soon.
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