Another day and another Goldson handball.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
At some point, it might become embarrassing for the Stenography Corps to keep looking the other way.
Although, perhaps that is naïveté on my part.
I certainly do not expect much from the people who run the national game in Fair Caledonia.
2012 taught me that.
Faced with the forensic evidence of a decade of cheating, they still attempted to bend all governance out of shape to facilitate the Ibrox brand.
In the year the original club died, and on the back of the publication of my book (Downfall: How Rangers FC self-destructed), I attended a few Q&A nights.
I put the following to the audience:
We now know that there has been a decade of cheating with tax dodges and ineligible players.
Yet the SFA still wanted a Rangers, any Rangers, in the top league.
So, with that in mind, what chance does a penalty shout have?
Of course, the death of Rangers in 2012 should have been the point where the local media stepped up.
For sure, there was no shortage of storylines for them to explore.
Instead, they fell into line and parroted the survival myth.
Therefore, do not expect too much of them when VAR gives another layer to the Honest Mistake dispensation.
This should be the cue for working journalists in Scotland to investigate further.
Dear reader, we both know that this will not happen.
Unsurprisingly, this glaring reality is seen clearly by others outside of the Glasgow fitba feud.
And the view from the Granite City…
For the avoidance of doubt, no harm to the lad Goldson himself.
If he’s getting away with this, then that’s down to the match officials, not him.
Anyone who tries to call out the Ibrox klanbase for their racism is a decent sort in my book.
The main failing here is a Fourth Estate that sees its role as writing permission slips for those who govern the game.
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The problem is we have the same brothers in the VAR control room , hiding behind the anonanimity making the same old decisions in favour of Sevco . The interpretation of the rules of VAR have been scewered in favour of the Establishment Club . Before liquidation in 2012 , Celtic fans were told we were Paranoid , then when Sevco 2012 appeared on the scene it all changed , the SFA were anti- Oranjie …. now we’re back to the Bad old days , Celtic Fans are Paranoid again . The SFA should be disbanded and a Professional Body put in its place , VAR should be run by an independent body of trained specialists not the corrupt refs . We need to hear what is being said by the Ref and the VAR control … Transparency is the key to stop the biased decisions for all .
You can be certain that those handball incidents would have been penalties for the club playing out of ibrox
No question both would be given as a gift to Mr Tavernier to get another of his many penalty opportunities to score .
The stats show their is an issue surrounding VAR and it benefitting one football club .
As for the Aberdeen fans calling out Mr Welsh they are simply telling the truth .
I don’t know why the SPFL don’t just tell the SFA that they won’t be using their refs anymore & just hire their own refs from across Europe to ref the league and league Cup.
The SFA can use their refs in the Scottish Cup.
If Bobby Madden can up sticks and get a ref job down in England, what’s stopping the SPFL getting their own refs
Answer: The SPFL are basically the clubs (all of them) and if they didn’t like/agree with what is/has been going on then they could change it.
As to why they don’t want change I think you might want to give Paul Larkin’s documentary film a watch – it’s called Anyone but Celtic.
Quite astonishing isn’t it? Even though Celtic have the vast majority of possession in games, including 61% in the recent Glasgow Derby 5 VAR assisted pens are awarded against them. Any time a Celtic player’s arm hits the ball in, or around in O’Reilly’s case, the box a pen gets given. Connor could play basketball in his box and still not concede one and another one on Saturday against Killie is deemed “not a clear and obvious error” to such an extent that it doesn’t even warrant mentioning in BBC reports, Sportscene or the latest joke The VARdict. A nice wee pun there by the BBC. About the right level for their “journalists”. Let’s employ an ex sevco player and an ex member of the Scottish refereeing community to find a reason to justify decisions agains Celtic and for sevco. Any organisation would employ an external official such as one from England to assist with impartiality.
Who would think that sevco could be going for 22 so late in the season? 22 games coming up, no pens?
A blind man can see what’s going on but the SMSM, ably assisted by one of your countrymen in the increasingly appalling Tom English Phil, act like the 3 monkeys in the ornament that sat on my Gran’s mantlepiece. See no evil, hear no evil speak no evil.
There’s a story here for anyone with the balls to take it on.
JS
Rangers penalties face 0 – is only half the story, how many they won?
Hi Phil, and Happy new year…
As long as its mathematically possible for the orcs to catch celtic, there will be no var given against them….once the league becomes an impossibility, then we will see refs give such decisions as it will make things look less damning…..and next season it will start all over again.
Simple fact is that EVERY club needs to call out the SFA…..especially after the SFA refereeing consultant admitted that on the day, referees make decisions on opinion.
I’m not aware if these problems can be taken to sporting arbitration or UEFA ….after all…VAR is their baby, and its use in Scotland, especially, is being done to pervert the game in favour of one club….perhaps you could elaborate.
I’m sure there is plenty of evidence available on how things are being done in the cause of keeping the mordor club in the chase.
Looking forward to your thoughts Phil
It wasn’t the worst handball in the game, check out the Ryan Jack one preceded by a push, so absolutely no excuse for his hands to be where they were
…and the Ben Davies one just prior to Goldson v Celtic! Watch here from about 15https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/64154511