Rangers have questioned the “consistency of refereeing in Scottish football” in the wake of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic.
The Ibrox side were defeated 3-1 after extra time by their Old Firm rivals at Hampden and played much of the match with ten men after midfielder Thelo Aasgaard was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Anthony Ralston when the Celtic defender was caught in the upper thigh.
While there were few gripes over the decision to send off the Norwegian, Rangers feel a red card should have been given to Celtic defender Auston Trusty after he caught goalkeeper Jack Butland on the head with a kick on the stroke of half time. Referee Nick Walsh only issued a yellow card and wasn’t asked to review the decision on-field by the VAR Matthew MacDermid.
While Rangers went on to level the match and force extra time, Celtic went on to prevail 3-1 and set up a final clash with St Mirren next month back at the national stadium.
Rangers feel that officiating surrounding the Trusty incident “raised legitimate concerns” about the application of rules and procedures by referees and despite holding talks with the Scottish Football Association, they remain “unsatisfied” with the explanation given by the governing body.
Rangers say they will continue to “hold the Scottish FA to account” and took aim at the organisation in a stinging statement released late on Monday evening.
The statement read: “The handling of key incidents during Sunday’s semi-final has again raised legitimate concerns about the consistency of refereeing in Scottish football.
“Club representatives met with the Scottish FA this evening to seek explanations for major decisions in the match, including the incident involving Jack Butland and Auston Trusty.
“Following that meeting, we remain unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision in that incident, the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently robust or thorough.
“We recognise that refereeing decisions can impact both sides in a game, but too many important matches continue to be influenced by calls that are inconsistent and difficult to justify. These decisions have real consequences, determining results, impacting fans, and affecting the livelihoods of players, coaches and staff whose work is judged by outcomes on the pitch.
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“The club has consistently raised issues as they have occurred with the Scottish FA, but we do not feel there has been enough change in how refereeing is being developed at the highest level.
“We understand and share the anger among our supporters, who have grown frustrated at the repeated inconsistencies in major match decisions that continue to affect the club.
“For the benefit of our supporters and the wider game in the country, we will continue to hold the Scottish FA to account and expect them to lead meaningful progress that delivers lasting improvement.”
