Ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton has rightfully slammed Rangers for their alleged request asking referee Willie Collum not to officiate in any of their games in the future.
The Ibrox club were incensed after their Glasgow derby defeat to Celtic last weekend, as Brendan Rodgers ended Philippe Clement’s unbeaten start as Rangers manager.
They feel Alistair Johnston should have been penalised for a handball and thus be awarded a penalty. However, VAR on the day Collum did not feel a clear and obvious error was made by on-field referee Nick Walsh and thus play continued.
Regardless, it was later confirmed Abdallah Sima was offside in the build-up to the ‘handball’ incident so the penalty Rangers were screaming for would have been rendered null and void anyway.
But that didn’t stop Rangers issuing diversionary statements complaining about the non-penalty award and the fact no offside check was mentioned in the VAR audio, which the Govan hierarchy got to listen to privately after a plea to the SFA to make it public.
Rangers are at war with the SFA at the moment. So much so that during their meeting with the governing body, they reportedly requested Collum should take no further part officiating Rangers games in the future.
Sutton, writing in his weekly Daily Record column, has responded to that request – initially reported by the club’s media partner Hand & Heart – and has called Rangers out for threatening to set a “very dangerous precedent”.
Chris Sutton has slammed Rangers
Here’s what Sutton had to write, which is absolutely spot on: “What Rangers’ statement has brought is a pile-on. And it’s all so unnecessary. It stirs the pot and puts more pressure on referees going forward.
“This route they’re going down by asking for Willie Collum not to be involved in any of their games is none of their business. And it’s a very dangerous precedent to set.
“What would be the protocol for that? Are we then going to scrutinise referees’ performances over time and the mistakes they’ve made or a particular referee’s past?
“We know what Scotland is like and that’s a can of worms that should never be opened. Collum got a subjective call wrong and you could question the competency there. There are also things that can be improved with VAR, I think we all agree that.
“But you cannot be asking for an official to be removed from your games for getting a subjective decision wrong. It’s just not going to happen.
“I go back to asking what Rangers’ motivation was? Were they doing it on behalf of all clubs, for the greater good of the Scottish game?
“Or was it to deflect and pile pressure on referees further down the line? I think we all know which one it is and it’s so unnecessary.
“We have a title race on and you have to pick your battles. They’ve picked the wrong one with Willie Collum and at that moment Scottish football didn’t need it.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
