Details of Willie Collum’s Discussion with Rangers CEO Revealed
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has acknowledged that Rangers were wrongly denied a critical penalty during Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final defeat to Celtic at Hampden Park.
It is understood that in a conversation between Rangers’ new chief executive, Patrick Stewart, and Willie Collum, the SFA’s Head of Referee Operations, the governing body admitted that an error occurred when VAR officials failed to inform referee John Beaton that Celtic defender Liam Scales’ shirt tug on Rangers winger Vaclav Cerny took place on the penalty area line, rather than outside it. Beaton awarded a free kick outside the box, which James Tavernier subsequently missed, instead of a penalty kick.
Collum is expected to address the incident in this week’s SFA VAR Review Show, which will examine key moments from recent matches. The VAR mistake is the latest to be highlighted by the Key Match Incident panel, whose weekly report on contentious decisions will be published on Friday.
Speaking in his first interview since taking over at Ibrox on Monday, Stewart confirmed he had contacted the SFA, including chief executive Ian Maxwell, to seek clarification on the decision, which occurred three minutes into extra time with the game tied 3-3. Rangers ultimately lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout.
Stewart described the start of his tenure as “bittersweet,” stating: “Yesterday was my first day, and we were still licking our wounds from Sunday. It was a disappointing manner of defeat, but we can take a lot from it.” He added, “I’ve spoken with the SFA for an explanation about the non-awarding of a penalty in extra time and will wait to hear their response.”
The SFA has reportedly already admitted the mistake, with both VAR referee Alan Muir and assistant Frank O’Connor omitted from officiating this weekend. However, referee John Beaton will oversee Hearts’ match against St. Johnstone on Sunday.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement expressed his frustration after the match, urging reporters to investigate the decision. He revealed he had been inundated with images showing the location of the foul just minutes after the final whistle.
Stewart, speaking to Rangers TV, acknowledged the pain of the defeat but also highlighted reasons for optimism: “I didn’t want to dwell on the cup final – but it could have been such a memorable day. The manner of the defeat was hard to take, but there’s a lot to build on.”
He also acknowledged the challenges the club faces alongside new non-executive chairman Fraser Thornton: “There’s much to be proud of, especially given the circumstances of the past seven months. But on the park, we’re not where we want to be in terms of trophies.”
Rangers currently sit third in the Premiership, trailing second-placed Aberdeen by two points and leaders Celtic by 11. Off the field, the club recently reported a £17.2 million loss for the financial year, despite revenues of £88.3 million.
Stewart acknowledged the need to improve the club’s perception: “The wider perception of Rangers hasn’t always been where we want it to be, so there are challenges there. But we have strong foundations to build from.”
