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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Glasgow Times Reporter

Andy Walker insists Rangers' disallowed goal should have stood in VAR rant

Ex-Celtic striker Andy Walker has blasted Scottish football's use of VAR, calling it "utter guff".

His rant comes amid controversy surrounding Rangers' disallowed goal in the recent derby against the Hoops.

Kemar Roofe thought he had opened the scoring but referee Don Robertson was called over to the pitchside monitor by VAR official Alan Muir to review the decision.

After a delay, Roberston overturned the goal, stating Cyriel Dessers fouled Gustaf Lagerbielke in the build-up.

This has reportedly left the Ibrox side "bemused" and they have contacted the SFA looking for answers.

Walker told Go Radio: "You have to go back and see what VAR was introduced for. I was at the presentation which I thought was really slick and professional. I distinctly remember asking the question 'If I think it's a foul and I am the referee, and you don't think it's a foul and you are VAR, oh, VAR won't get involved.'

"I didn't think there was any need for VAR to get involved, I thought it was a coming together.

"There was a tangle of legs and I think you are just getting someone else's opinion. I thought the referee was in a good position to see what took place and he didn't give a foul.

"Had he given a foul, no problem, as you wouldn't have had that forward play where Rangers get a goal and the whole stadium erupted.

"But I thought it was a poor use of VAR as it is very subjective. I don't understand why VAR wanted to get involved.

"Because it's not right and it's not wrong, it's just another opinion. You should always leave the big decisions to the referee on the field of play and I don't think there was a clear and obvious error for VAR to get involved with and that is what we were sold.

"And you look at some of the other decisions over the weekend, dreadful. 

Is it a foul? It might be, might not be, and everyone can debate it. You need to be forensic to look at the tangle of the legs and even then you will still get people coming down one side or the other.

"VAR was meant to come in to correct horrendous decisions. Here, I think the referee has made a judgement and you stick with it.

"It is also a piece of nonsense that we are led to believe that we have gone from getting 92 per cent of decisions correct to 96.

It is utter guff, these subjective decisions are not right or wrong as you could make a call either way.

"You can't just put it down 'we got that one right', absolute nonsense. We are not helping our referees.

"Some of the decisions made this weekend were horrific. I think too many referees now are relying on VAR now to correct their errors and it's not right.

"We are not using it to the best of our ability."

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