Keith Jackson has shared his reaction to the VAR controversy during Rangers’ Old Firm clash with Celtic, admitting he thinks the incident “stinks”.
On Saturday (30 December), the Light Blues were defeated 2-1 by Brendan Rodgers’ side, but they felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the first half after the ball looked to touch Alistair Johnston’s hand in the area.
No spot-kick was awarded after a lengthy VAR examination, with the justification later being that Abdallah Sima had drifted offside in the build-up, but Jackson was displeased with the process, stating it left “a lot to be desired.”
“It stinks,” he wrote in the Daily Record on Monday (1 January). The officials may have made the correct judgment in the end, but their process left much to be desired.”
It reeks.
As Jackson stated, the officials at Celtic Park made the correct call since Sima appeared to be marginally offside in the build-up to the handball, but the manner in which they arrived at that conclusion was just horrible to witness.
According to Sky Sports commentators and Rangers officials, the offside call was not provided as the reason for the penalty not being granted until far into the second half, implying it was not examined during the initial incident.
That is, the VAR would have felt as if the referee on the day had not made a clear and apparent mistake in their decision and so upheld the call, even though Johnston’s handball was obvious to all.
So far this season, Scottish football officiating has been far from adequate for the level of football being played. This must change quickly, or more and more games will be decided by referees and VAR officials.
Saturday’s judgment stunk and should be remembered as a watershed moment in the Scottish Premiership. A lapse in judgment by the referees at Celtic Park could have a significant impact on where the title is awarded at the conclusion of the season.
