Kenny Clark, a former referee and current member of the Scottish FA’s referees committee, joined BBC Sportsound today to discuss the controversial VAR decisions that have been made in Scottish Premiership matches, particularly those involving Celtic.
While Clark was not allowed to comment on any specific incidents due to the SFA’s request, he was able to offer some insight into the inconsistencies that have been observed in Scottish football this season.
Kenny Clark had a take on the interpretation of the handball laws that didn’t sit well with pundits Michael Stewart and Rory Loy. Clark claiming the nature of football meant fans will always be upset with decisions.
Stewart branded the argument as ‘lazy’ and a ‘cop-out’. The former Hearts and Hibs man made it clear that referees are not interpreting the rule correctly. Indicating that Clark hadn’t learned anything if he was blaming fans for questioning decisions against their clubs.
BBC Sportsound Presenter Kenny MacIntyre highlighted some intriguing figures that painted a rather different picture for the impact VAR had on penalty decisions in the English Premier League compared to Scotland. In short, the introduction of VAR saw a decrease in the number of penalties awarded in the EPL while they increased in Scotland.
This chat has only further exacerbated the discontent that many people have been feeling regarding the implementation of VAR in this season’s matches.
If the Scottish FA genuinely wishes to convince the public of the benefits of VAR, they must do more than Clark did in his attempt to respond to Ange Postecoglou’s comments during the media conference on Friday.
Celtic manager expressed his discontent with the current VAR system and the handball rule, in particular, citing an incident at Ibrox where the Bhoys should have been awarded a penalty when trailing 2-1. Despite the unfairness of the situation,
Celtic have managed to secure results even when VAR was not in their favour, which is a testament to their determination and ability to overcome adversity.
This conversation took place on Saturday’s Sportsound.
