Former EPL referee Mark Halsey calls out Don Robertson
Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v Heart of Midlothian - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - May 7, 2022 Hearts' Barrie McKay remonstrates with referee Don Robertson after Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
Mark Halsey has called out Don Robertson over his incredible decision at Ibrox on Saturday.
Rugby tackling an opponent to the ground is a free kick worldwide, when it denies a goal-scoring opportunity the punishment is a red card rather than yellow.
Except it seems for viewers in Scotland where other circumstances come into play and referees like Robertson know they decisions that retain top level appointments- match fees and lucrative foreign appointments.
Normally with ‘controversial’ decisions there is someone that will try to defend the decision taken by the referee. It seems that no pundits are trying to state a case for Robertson, it is unlikely that Kenny Clarke, Stuart Dougal or anyone on the after-dinner circuit will justify the referee’s decision to ignore the Laws of the Game.
@no1lino @RefereeHalsey
Not sure if you guys have seen this— Adam Cohen (@realadammcohen) August 28, 2022
That’s red for me.
— Glenn Turner (@no1lino) August 28, 2022
Agreed Glenn
— Mark Halsey (@RefereeHalsey) August 28, 2022
Halsey spent more than a decade refereeing in the EPL, it doesn’t take a special eye or thought process to call out the foul by Sands.
It seems that there is no appetite to get the SFA Compliance Officer involved, last week there were high pitched screams to get John Lundstram’s red card downgraded. Yesterday the former Sheffield United midfielder opened the scoring soon after Sands escaped his red card offence.