League Cup final VAR duo stood down from weekend fixture list after Rangers ask SFA for explanation over controversial decision not to award penalty for Scales foul
Under-fire VAR duo Alan Muir and Frank Connor have been omitted from this weekend’s match list after failing to tell League Cup final referee John Beaton to award a penalty against Celtic defender Liam Scales.
The Irishman’s foul on Rangers’ winger Vaclav Cerny early in extra time was judged by Beaton to have taken place outside the box, with a free-kick and a yellow card the only sanctions.
While there were no complaints at the time, television replays showed that the infringement was just inside the area – a matter that should have resulted in one of the VAR officials instructing the ref to give a penalty.
Having twice come from behind to make the score 3-3 in regulation time, defending champions Rangers went on to lose the cup 5-4 on penalties.
Manager Philippe Clement said he had been inundated with text messages telling him his side should have had a spot-kick.
Celtic defender Liam Scales pulls down Vaclav Cerny at the edge of the penalty box
Philippe Clement admitted after the final that he was bewildered by the decision
New Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart asked the SFA for an explanation on Monday
New Rangers chief executive officer Patrick Stewart asked the SFA for an explanation on his first official day in the job on Monday.
While he has yet to receive a full answer, it’s understood that Willie Collum, the SFA’s head of referee operations, has already taken action by insisting that neither Muir, the lead VAR, nor Connor, his assistant, will be involved in games this coming weekend.
The decision will be reviewed by the SFA’s Key Match Incident panel on Thursday, with the outcome revealed on Friday.
Dismayed at how the incident was missed, Clement said at the time: ‘Football can be amazing, great, and amazing fun. It can be very cruel. This was a really cruel one.
‘I think my team deserved more today, creating more chances than the opponent.
‘Coming back in a good way and losing with penalties in the end, it stays a casino game at that moment.
‘But also, I don’t know if you saw the images back, but my phone is overloaded with the penalty situation with Cerny.
‘I get hundreds of messages now about that. That’s also a really decisive moment in the game.
‘Of course, (the referee) cannot see that moment. But he didn’t get the communication from the VAR to come and watch the screen which, for me, is a really weird situation.’
Collum succeeded Crawford Allan as head of referees in May after 20 years as a man in the middle.
While maintaining that some of the treatment officials received often went beyond acceptable levels, he acknowledged the need for greater accountability.
Former English Premier League referee Martin Atkinson has just taken over as VAR manager at the Scottish FA.
The 53-year-old replaced Jon Moss, who left after 52 days to become head of referees at Football Australia.
