The glittering international careers of Bobby Madden and Willie Collum are about to grind to a halt because the SFA have refused to introduce VAR.
All Champions League group stage matches and knock out games operate VAR with the Europa League bringing in VAR from the knock-out stage onwards.
VAR is now in operation across the main leagues in Europe with countries such as Cyprus and Malta using the system which has been broadly accepted as a great aid towards delivering the right decisions although nothing is 100% satisfactory.
With no domestic experience of VAR, Madden and Collum are at a disadvantage to referees from other countries and require VAR officials from other countries since the SFA have no other officials trained to use the technology.
The introduction of VAR would almost certainly have awarded Celtic two penalties missed by Kevin Clancy during last month’s draw at Hibs but the SFA and SPFL have made no plans to introduce the technology that is now commonplace elsewhere in Europe.
Discussing the situation former Grade 1 referee Charlie Richmond told The Sun:
If we don’t get in line and start using the VAR system in Scotland, you won’t see our guys going abroad. That was evident when Bobby Madden went to do his Champions League match recently between Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade.
The VAR officials were flown in from Holland because it’s only Bobby and Willie Collum that are trained in VAR. It was the same when Willie covered Juventus against Bayer Leverkusen. The VAR officials came from Spain. We can’t send a full team of six Scottish officials to a Champions League game.
So when it comes to the more important games our referees will miss out because Uefa will insist on a full team of six who work together. The Europa League brings in VAR from the last 32 onwards and I can’t see our guys getting matches.
While their refereeing peers look forward to being involved in next summer’s European Championship Finals Collum and Madden seem certain to be left at home due to the SFA’s refusal to invest in technology being used by the majority of UEFA nations.
Celtic fans have been angered by a number of clear mistaken decisions this season including John Beaton not awarding a penalty in the Betfred Cup tie against Dunfermline and Keighan Jacobs escaping a red card for a lunge at Jonny Hayes in the SPFL defeat at Livingston.
In March 2018 the SFA stated:
It is something we would be happy to embrace and support if there was a widespread appetite from our member clubs to do so and if it proved affordable to implement. Our decision to vote in favour of VAR was not taken lightly, but after lengthy research are confident it is a move that is in the best interests of the game.”
No costings have ever been published for the introduction of VAR with no trial periods announced for Scottish matches despite extensive TV coverage of matches every week.