Rangers claim the VAR audio surrounding their penalty appeal in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Celtic includes no mention of an offside, after meeting with the SFA on Wednesday.
In a statement to Sky Sports News, Rangers confirmed they had met with the SFA in response to their request to release the audio surrounding a potential handball against Celtic’s Alistair Johnston, which was reviewed by VAR Willie Collum at the time – but not given.
In the second half, forward Abdallah Sima’s offside position was mooted as a potential reason for the officials’ decision, but Rangers say they have now listened to the conversation between on-field referee and Nick Walsh and Collum – and that it was not a factor in their discussions at the time.
Rangers said after their meeting there had been an “overwhelming consensus” that the original handball decision had been incorrect, and also criticised the “haste” with which it was reached.
The club met the SFA four days after it had first criticised the country’s governing body for not releasing the VAR audio, which has still not been made public. Sky Sports News has contacted the SFA for comment.
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Ref Watch’s Dermot Gallagher has his say on the controversial decision to deny Rangers a penalty in Saturday’s Old Firm game.
A Rangers spokesperson told Sky Sports News: “Rangers FC today met with Scottish FA officials to discuss the VAR handball call and subsequent miscommunications from Saturday’s Old Firm match.
“From the meeting, there was an overriding consensus the VAR decision of no handball was incorrect.
“Having listened to the audio, there is no mention of a potential offside at the time of the handball decision. Rangers is also deeply concerned at the haste at which the erroneous no handball call was made.
“Rangers has appealed to the Scottish FA to release the audio and explain this decision, and future contentious decisions involving all clubs, to the public, as would be common practice in England for such a decision.
“The club has made a number of specific requests that it hopes the Scottish FA will respond to in order to improve matters going forward.”
Clement criticises ‘very strange’ decisions in Old Firm game
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Rangers manager Philippe Clement says he was pleased with his side’s performance despite defeat to Celtic, but questions a number of decisions from the officials.
Speaking straight after Saturday’s defeat, Rangers boss Philippe Clement was adamant the club should have been given the penalty and he branded some decisions made by Walsh and the officiating team as “very strange”.
Clement also had issue with Celtic’s Paulo Bernardo not being sent off for a late tackle on Conor Goldson while already on a booking, with defender Johnston also avoiding a second yellow card despite making contact with Sima’s face.
Those two decisions were even more significant given Leon Balogun was later sent off for a professional foul on Daizen Maeda.
“We played 15 minutes with 10 players, and that was the right decision, it’s a red card. We didn’t do that action well,” Clement told Sky Sports.
“But I have other questions also about, why not a handball in the first half to get a penalty? It’s a clear handball.
“Why not a second yellow card for some tackles and then at the end of the game a lot of yellow cards? A few strange decisions in that way.”
When Clement was told by Sky Sports reporter Luke Shanley that there was an offside in the build-up to the Johnston ‘handball’ incident, the Rangers manager responded: “The decision was not made about an offside, the decision of no penalty was made about the handball.
“That was the decision. So that was a strange decision for me.”
He later added: “We were unlucky with the two [Celtic] goals and if we get this penalty, it’s a 2-2 with the quality of the game. It’s another story in perception.”