"May spell trouble"; Celtic set for SPFL vote after Friday update; Chris Sutton weighs in

By John McGinley

October 8, 2021

Celtic and other SPFL members are set to vote on a resolution to bring VAR to Scottish football after a positive and productive meeting today.

Celtic took part in a video conference call with the Scottish FA, the rest of the Premiership and former elite referee Howard Webb to discuss the technology.

The Scottish FA are fully in favour on introducing VAR to Scotland, but the Bhoys and their division rivals have to now formally vote through the SPFL.

Ian Maxwell, Scottish FA Chief Executive, provided an update on today’s meeting, stating: “The meeting was really productive and Howard’s presentation was well-received: clubs were really engaged as he outlined the journey VAR had been on not just in the United States but in general.

“The Scottish FA remains fully supportive of its implementation for the benefit of the image and status of our domestic game, but also to provide support to our match officials on the domestic, European and international stages.”

Meanwhile, SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said: “We were keen to hear the views of cinch Premiership clubs, who were overwhelmingly positive about the benefits of introducing VAR in Scottish football.

“We will now continue that dialogue and working up the detail of a formal proposal, with a view to putting forward a resolution that will enable VAR to be introduced as soon as is practicably possible in the cinch Premiership. 

“This will not be an overnight process, bearing in mind the lengthy training and set-up that will be required.  Any such proposal would ensure that none of the costs of implementing VAR in the cinch Premiership would be borne by other SPFL clubs.”

It has previously been reported it will cost top-flight clubs £60,000-a-year to implement a fully-functioning VAR service.

As we know from recent and distant history, SPFL votes are rarely straightforward with all sorts of politics and agendas at play.

However, with broad initial support from the Premiership, it looks like VAR could be introduced sooner rather than later.

Celtic pundit Chris Sutton has given his instant reaction to the news on Twitter, with a not so subtle dig at Rangers.

He said: “If used properly it may spell trouble for some… big if…”

With Scottish referees set to be in charge of utilising the technology, it could cause more trouble than it’s worth based on their track record.

In other news, Andres Iniesta is missing his Celtic pal as he posts class Kyogo throwback on Instagram.