The Scottish FA has reportedly admitted to an error during the Premier Sports Cup final, where Rangers were denied a penalty against Celtic.
Referee chief Willie Collum is said to have acknowledged that Philippe Clement’s side should have been awarded a spot-kick in the Hampden Park clash on Sunday. According to The Scotsman, Collum discussed the incident with Rangers’ new chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and conceded a mistake was made. Stewart has also reportedly spoken with Ian Maxwell regarding the matter.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement expressed frustration after the match when no penalty was given for a foul on Vaclav Cerny by Liam Scales during the first half of extra time. Replays showed Cerny’s foot on the 18-yard box line, which IFAB rules state should result in a penalty if the foul begins outside the area but continues inside.
Despite this, VAR official Alan Muir, assisted by Frank Connor, did not intervene, and referee John Beaton awarded only a free kick. As the decision was deemed “factual,” VAR could have simply advised Beaton to upgrade the call, but Muir chose not to act, leaving the free kick decision unchanged.
On his first day as Rangers’ CEO, Stewart demanded clarification from the Scottish FA regarding the decision-making process. Speaking to Rangers TV, he confirmed he was still awaiting an official response. However, The Scotsman claims the SFA has since provided an explanation, stating the officials made an error.
As a result of the controversy, VAR officials Muir and Connor have not been assigned to any matches this weekend. However, Beaton and his assistants from the cup final will officiate Scottish Premiership fixtures.
Collum is expected to address the contentious incident in the SFA VAR Review Show, which is reportedly set to be recorded and releasedthis week.
