Kevin Thelwell opens up Rangers to risk of SFA charge after rare interview
Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has called on the Scottish Football Association (SFA) to improve the level of officiating.
Rangers are still fuming after losing to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final earlier this month as a number of contentious calls went against them.
The biggest complaint was Auston Trusty avoiding a red card for endangering the safety of Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland.
Rangers’ hierarchy have called for a second meeting with the SFA as the fallout from that game at Hampden Park continues.
Willie Collum defended Nick Walsh’s decision not to send off Trusty, but Thelwell has now spoken out about the need for better refereeing.
What has Kevin Thelwell said about quality of refereeing in Scotland?
In a rare wide-ranging interview with Rangers TV that was released on Saturday, Thelwell spent time discussing the hot topic at the moment.
“We want to have another conversation with the SFA,” Thelwell said. “We’ve been doing some analysis of our own over a much wider period and perhaps want to talk to them again about some of that detail for one reason and one reason only.
“We want greater consistency, we want a greater quality and standard of refereeing and we want the focus to be on the football and not on the decisions.”
Thelwell went on and certainly did not hold back in his assessment. While it is good to see Rangers being defended in public, though, it could land the Gers in hot water.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, former PGMOL head Keith Hackett said the constant jibes and demands for meetings could force the SFA to take action.
“The conversations that Rangers should be having is direct with the Scottish FA leaders, including Head of Referees Willie Collum,” Hackett said.
“Rangers should supply evidence at the meeting regarding their concerns surrounding specific incidents. Where exactly do they believe to be the shortfall in officiating standards?
“Is it in terms of the fitness of referees? The application of the law? The performance of VAR, where Martin Atkinson is currently working under Willie Collum?
“In the evidence I have witnessed, Collum is an excellent communicator who explained in detail how they came to yellow card for Trusty.
“Collum outlined in detail why they considered the challenge to be reckless (yellow card) and not a red. The explanation was an honest opinion.
“I have already expressed my view that a red card would have been my decision based on a view that the players actions did endanger the safety of the goalkeeper.
“Danny Rohl, when at Sheffield Wednesday, was an excellent communicator and I would suggest that Willie Collum makes arrangement to visit him and meet the Rangers coaching staff.
“Frankly the media comments by Rangers are not helpful. If these public outburst continue then the Scottish FA could easily charge Rangers.”
Celtic vs Rangers fallout to rumble on for a while longer yet
It wouldn’t be an Old Firm without the fallout rumbling on for weeks later.
Many Rangers fans will just simply want to draw a line under the matter, but the truth is many of them feel robbed.
However, Collum has explained the process behind the Trusty decision and has sided with man in the middle Walsh. Rangers will gain little from another meeting in this instance.
Danny Rohl has won three league games in a row at Rangers and is quietly going about his business – in the league, anyway.
The sooner the Livingston match comes around next weekend, the sooner the refereeing debate can be shelved for another month or so.
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