Former refs can’t believe Connor Goldson keeps getting away with handballs in the box.
The Rangers defender has survived several spot kick claims in recent weeks without being penalised by either the on field whistler or his mate in the VAR studio. Ex-officials Des Roache and Steve Conroy have labelled him the luckiest player in the Scottish Premiership when it comes to handball calls, insisting he has a better save ratio than Ibrox teammate Allan McGregor and should be wearing a Harlem Globetrotters kit rather than the light blue of the Gers.
Goldson has escaped punishment after appearing to handle against Celtic, Dundee United and during the weekend’s 2-1 victory over Ross County in Govan. And Roache believes there’s not a league in Europe that varies so wildly on what constitutes a handball from one week to the next. “I think Connor Goldson has got a better save ratio than Allan McGregor this season!” Roache said.
“Under the current laws of the game, the decisions were not given correctly. The ball bounces up and hits his arm against Ross County, the ball falls out of the air and hits his arm against Dundee United and he holds his hands to protect his good looks against Celtic.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the population would say all three are penalties. He shouldn’t be in a Rangers strip, he should be wearing a Harlem Globetrotters outfit.
“It beggars belief the difference in interpretation of decisions between referees. It’s making a mockery of things.
“No other league in Europe has such a variance in what is given as a handball.”
Conroy doesn’t believe any of of the incidents SHOULD be penalties. But going by the current laws of the game, Goldson should have been given against “teflon” Goldson.
He added: “There are three he’s got away with. In the sane world, none of them are penalties, but in the current climate, all three ARE penalties.
“He’s certainly Teflon-coated the number he gets away with. He has been damned jammy!
“[If] you look at decisions given against Celtic’s Matt O’Riley when the ball bounced up and hit his arm, and then Efe Ambrose – against Celtic for Morton – when he couldn’t possibly get out of the way, then what is the difference?”
Des Roache and Steve Conroy, of the Get Involved Referee podcast, were talking on behalf of Grosvenor Sport.
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