THE inexplicable non-award of a penalty to Rangers during the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic hogged the headlines from today’s VAR review show with Willie Collum.
But the non award of ANOTHER penalty to Rangers turned out to be another talking point from the VAR review show.
Jack Sanders handball which the KMI report said should have been penalty[/caption]
And it pointed up a nuance between the outcomes reached by the 5-man KMI panel and Collum’s own refereeing department.
The SFA are at pains to point out that the KMI panel is independent, and includes members who are former footballers or part of the media rather than ex-referees.
In consequence, Collum insists that the SFA refereeing department – of which he is the head – is ‘not GOVERNED’ by the KMI panel outcomes.
And that was the case when Collum AGREED with the original decision NOT to award a penalty for handball against St Johnstone‘s Jack Sanders when a Jefte cross struck his arm.
That’s the opposite opinion from the KMI panel, who decided on a 3-2 majority that they felt a penalty SHOULD have been awarded.
But Collum said: “We don’t think it’s a penalty – and that shows the KMI panel is independent.
“they have a view and there will be times when the KMI panel support the decisions we give and other times they go against the decision.
“But that doesn’t mean we suddenly say we go with whatever the KMI panel say.
“There are many things we learn from the KMI panel, good discussions with football people, but it’s important to say that we’re not governed by them.
“They thought this was a penalty but for us I think we have been consistent on handball this season.
“We have improved on recent seasons, that football understanding about where players want to be.
“The VAR doesn’t gamble, they have to find angles, and for us the St Johnstone player doesn’t do much wrong here, It is a natural movement and he tries to pull his hand away.
“In fact, if the referee gives the penalty here we would want him brought to the monitor because we don’t think the penalty award is supportable here.
“It was a 3-2 debate here. But what I’m saying this is not a penalty for us, and if it was awarded on field we would want it overturned.”
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