The SFA have been accused of treating football fans with contempt regarding VAR.
Almost every manager in the country has criticised the way that the technology has been operated, instead of having a back up system to correct errors it seems that there are now two chances to make mistakes.
Before VAR was introduced the SFA had the media on-board as they opened up at Clydesdale House, showing off their systems and how they had learned lessons from the introduction of VAR elsewhere.
Ange Postecoglou has tried to keep away from the various controversies but at the turn of the year he told The National:
We have had a rough run of it. In the past, wherever I’ve coached you’d be hard-pressed to find me being too critical of any refereeing decision during my whole 25 years coaching.
I’ve always felt that with human beings involved, errors will happen and things will even out over the course of the year. But if you look from the introduction of VAR, we’ve had some, I think, pretty rough decisions against us, and that’s not going to even itself out over one year: no chance are we going to get three [questionable] penalties in our favour.
There has been virtually no comment from inside the SFA about how VAR is being operated leaving fans to turn to social media for explanations of some incredible decisions.
At the weekend there was another outpouring of anger from various managers, responding to that in The Express Conroy said:
Every time something like this happens there is deafening silence from the SFA. They are treating the Scottish football public with contempt. Why not come out and say ‘we’ve had a howler and we’re going to try to get it right’? They have to say something.
Over the next week Hampden will host two international matches, after that fans will go back to their clubs waiting on news, comment or explanations about the baffling decisions that are influencing top flight matches every week.
Conroy refereed a Glasgow derby in 2009 but stood down from refereeing two years later.
What do you expect from amateurs, you get amateurs staying away from the problem.
Treating fans with contempt. Well absolutely nothing new there.
The arrogance of the SFA has been clear for all to see for years:
Withholding player registration , no problem.
Illegally registered players for a decade, move along.
Illegal allocation of a UEFA licence to play Europe, on you go.
Nimmo Smith farce of an inquiry, carry on.
The referees carry an arrogance way beyond their capabilities and so does the superiors.
The whole refereeing structure needs torn down and revamped with competent people in the correct roles but why would that happen when incompetence and arrogance gets you further than simply doing a job right.
Why don’t the thickos at the SFA simply oustsource VAR operations?
Take VAR away from the Scottish [Lanarkshire] Referees’ Asssociation
They could, for example, engage English referees to manage VAR during games from down south.
Over time, the Scottish match officials should improve, as English VAR officials recommend the ‘correct’ decisions.
Plus, it could immediately remove the suspiciion of VAR bias amongst all clubs’ supporters generally.
If we had poor match officials before VAR, then what we are witnessing now are poor VAR decisions from those same individuals – unsurprisingly.