Peter Grant has hit out at the Scottish FA, the refereeing chiefs and the match officials for their disgraceful interpretation of the rules of the game at Tynecastle on Sunday and in the aftermath as the former Celtic and Scotland midfielder insists that he told us.
Grant has always insisted that VAR would be a disaster in Scottish football and so it seems to be the case. If it was scrapped today few in Scottish football – maybe just theRangers fans – would mourn its ‘loss’.
theRangers supporter working VAR
Grant reckons that the SFA merely defended the indefensible in throwing out Celtic’s appeal against the red card that was upgraded from a yellow on the instance of theRangers supporter working the VAR machine.
“There was no chance of it getting overturned. A couple of weeks ago the head of referees came out and said they had made mistakes, and hoped between now and the end of the season they could iron that out. So you could guarantee there was absolutely no chance of them turning that round,” Grant said on Go Radio Football Show last night.
“The decision was a disgrace, for me at the time I am thinking it’s not even a booking. That is a skill – if he knocks if over his head and pulls it down we would say what a piece of fantastic skill. Unfortunately the boy has put his head into his foot.
No blood and no mark on his face
“His foot is high for sure, but there is no blood and no mark on his face. I heard somebody comparing it with Joe Hart at St Mirren (red card for high foot), this is completely different. This is a hook and it’s the outside of the boot that hits him.
“With the referees it’s disgusting. You have Crawford Allan and the two guys on Saturday, Beaton and Robertson – if they three guys can’t get the right decision that how tells you how bad it is. He has made the correct decision in giving the free-kick – the boot is high.
VAR is a disgrace and the referees are so poor
“The yellow card I would have agreed with that, and a red card is a disgrace. But to go back to the office now and Celtic have asked it to be looked at and not to change it again – VAR is a disgrace and the referees are so poor if they can’t get that decision right. I seen them (the referees) coming out with an excuse saying the referees and their families will be getting criticism – I said that all along that VAR should not have come here because Scotland is completely different from anywhere else.
“Size wise and where the referees are situated, but the same guys have got to understand that if Celtic lose the league this year – do they think the fans will be happy with them? Do you think those players won’t get any criticism? Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast. From day one up here I said VAR is a joke.
“It’s not just the high boot, there was so many bad decisions. It was terrible to watch it. I know the pressure the guys are under – but now the problem is they are not admitting they have got it wrong.”
Willie Collum witch-hunt
And mid-rant Grant heard that Brendan Rodgers had now been cited by the Scottish FA’s Compliance Officer, who at the New Year gave Philippe Clement a free pass to lead the witch-hunt against Willie Collum and DEMAND that Collum doesn’t referee another one of their games.
Grant added: “What did they expect him to say? It’s the truth. I’m not just saying it for Celtic but for other managers some of the decisions have been disgraceful.
“Not just at the top with Celtic and Rangers, down at the bottom of the league some of the decisions have been a disgrace. So who do they answer to? That’s the problem. Now they are asking Brendan Rodgers to explain himself, why? They should be the one explaining themselves. It’s a shocking decision.”
