Sport nationRefereeing Controversy Engulfs Scottish Premiership: Celtic Red Card Debate Rages On
The Scottish Premiership’s VAR system has come under intense scrutiny following a contentious weekend that has sparked outrage and debate. At the forefront of the furore is Celtic’s dismay over the discrepancy in refereeing decisions, particularly concerning red cards.
A stark illustration of this inconsistency emerged during Rangers’ 2-1 victory over St Mirren, where Connor Barron escaped punishment for a high boot challenge on Toyosi Olusanya. This incident bore striking similarities to Yang Hyun-jun’s red card offense against Hearts last season.
Retired officials Des Roache and Steve Conroy, via their Behind the Whistle podcast, unequivocally stated that both incidents warranted identical sanctions. They tweeted:
“Identical ‘tackles’ and should have received identical sanctions. We said Yang was right to be sent off, so Barron should also have been sent off.”
This glaring disparity has reignited concerns regarding VAR’s efficacy and refereeing consistency.
Celtic, currently six points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership, has enjoyed an impressive nine-match unbeaten run.
Meanwhile, Pat Bonner has offered his expert analysis on Celtic’s defensive conundrum. With Cameron Carter-Vickers’ return from injury, Bonner advocates for Liam Scales to partner the American.
“Scales has been magnificent over the piece. If he loses out, he will be very disappointed… I would go with him,” Bonner remarked on Sportsound.
Brendan Rodgers has expressed confidence in his backline, emphasizing the importance of defensive aggression in securing clean sheets and victories.
As Celtic seeks to maintain momentum, the debate surrounding refereeing consistency and defensive selections will undoubtedly persist.
The Scottish Premiership’s governing bodies must address these concerns to restore faith in the VAR system and ensure impartiality in refereeing decisions.
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Amina Umar