After facing Hearts at Tynecastle, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers didn’t say anything about Scottish refereeing and the use of VAR that wasn’t true.
The roll-out of the technology and the interpretation of rules have been a bit of a shambles and wildly inconsistent.
Managers, pundits and supporters up and down the country have had their say over the last couple of seasons and some of the criticism has been pretty sharp.
Rodgers was forthright with his comments about John Beaton and Don Robertson, naming them and suggesting there was incompetence in their officiating – but why did the Scottish FA choose to pull up the Celtic boss and not others?
As we discussed yesterday, Celtic’s legal team in the Hampden hearing on Thursday pointed out multiple instances of other Scottish Premiership managers similarly criticising refereeing – comments that were not subsequently picked up on by the SFA’s compliance officer.
Chris Sutton on Brendan Rodgers ban
Sutton has now questioned the SFA’s stance, stating today [Daily Record, 30/03 print edition]: “As soon as he said the word ‘incompetence’ and named VAR official John Beaton along with Don Robertson, we all knew he was in bother and a ban would be inevitable under the rules. But I just wonder how come no other manager has copped it this season?
“Pretty much all of them have been critical of VAR or referees. I’ve seen strong stuff from Derek McInnes, Steven Naismith, Stuart Kettlewell has recently gone to town and Philippe Clement has taken the odd pop. Neil Warnock was only here a few weeks and moaned about it after most games.
“None of those guys ended up in the dock. It seems it’s okay to infer officials are incompetent – but you can’t actually say it. Rodgers just said what they are all thinking – what most of us are thinking. In courts you can’t get done for defamation if what you say is true.
“But it doesn’t seem to work that way in the SFA legal system. Even if the officials were incompetent you’re not allowed to say it. Rodgers will take his slap on the wrists but for everyone’s sake I hope the people in charge take note and raise their game.”
Refereeing standards correctly called out by Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers reiterated yesterday that in raising recent issues he is hoping that standards can be raised in the refereeing department at Hampden, for the good of Scottish football.
The Scottish FA itself has acknowledged there have been issues and will conduct a review once Crawford Allan steps down from his post as head of the refereeing department at the end of the season.
A one-match touchline ban given to Rodgers is worth it for Celtic to keep these issues in the public eye. It would be one thing if truth wasn’t being spoken but the Bhoys boss was spot on with everything he said on this – within the rules or not.
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