Kettlewell, Docherty and Robson call out Scotland’s shameful 73 match run but clubs, media and SFA are on mute

David Dickinson and Greg Aitken were never going to spoil Christmas for their family and friends, even with a two goal lead they weren’t prepared to apply the Laws of the Game to bring a proud 72 match run to a halt.

On Wednesday Steven McLean has the task to taking the run to 74, his CV suggests that Ross County would be as well sending their u-18 team to Ibrox on Wednesday night.

Over the course of three managers, three English Prime ministers, two UK monarchs, 108 hours, the introduction of VAR and 73 SPFL matches no referee has dared to award a penalty against the 2012 Ibrox Tribute Act.

That sterling work from Dickinson, Aitken, Andrew Dallas, Alan Muir, Nick Walsh, John Beaton, McLean, Willie Collum, Don Robertson have all made massive contributions to the 73 match run, setting a high bar for the other aspiring referees to emulate.

Over the last month Barry Robson, Tony Docherty and now Stuart Kettlewell have spoken out about the double standards in Scottish football which boils down to how easily penalties are awarded for one club while it is impossible for them to have one awarded against them.

After more than a year of VAR we are supposed to believe that there hasn’t been a handball, a shirt-pull or foul committed by James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Cyriel Dessers, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and friends.

Scottish football fans across all Premiership clubs have been calling it out, three managers, knowing that they could all be sacked before the season is out, have highlighted the issue with the legacy media quick to bury it with the exception of Richard Gordon at the Evening Express in Aberdeen.

The one that was brought to my attention from our analyst is the pull on Mika Biereth’s arm. Backpost he looks favourite to get a touch on the ball. I am seeing them given as penalties constantly.

I think Rangers themselves have benefited from a number of incidents like that but my question is are we actually checking them? We keep getting told everything is being checked.

I am not sure if that one has been specifically checked as I would defy anybody to tell me if it has been checked, we are ok with it. If that influences him from getting to the ball, I think we are all on the same page are we not?

That it has to be a penalty. From the naked eye and what I have seen liv and on a replay, that looks like it has to be a penalty based on the benchmark is for giving penalties in this league.

I am not making excuses for it, it is just you would love one or two of these things to fall for you and they absolutely don’t. I watch highlights programmes every week and I see them given every single week.

I’m hugely disappointed with the decision to give the penalty kick and VAR’s involvement in it.

The image presented to Kevin Clancy favours the penalty being given but the reality is there is bustling in the box, Sima has hold of Aaron Donnelly’s shirt and Kevin Clancy deemed that to be OK. He then gets shown an image in a real pivotal moment of the game at 1-1. You need things to go for you and that one went against us.

There’s a lot said about pulling shirts in boxes. The referees had all said not everyone is a penalty when there is a pull of a shirt inside.

Stefan got blocked, I think we can all see that. VAR haven’t bothered looking at the block and just looked at the shirt. We’re in trouble aren’t we? If this is the way it’s going to go. For me, it doesn’t look good…another VAR decision going Rangers’ way in the 90th minute again. It doesn’t look good for..I don’t know I’m just frustrated. It took him long enough didn’t it? (Walsh) What I feel I can’t say.

Tellingly the SFA haven’t taken any action against Robson or Docherty for questioning their match officials, preferring not to draw attention to the ongoing 73 match run.

Equally tellingly there has been complete silence from Dundee and Aberdeen about these decisions. Alan Burrows and Dave Cormack are never slow to turn to Twitter for when they think that there is sympathy to milk from supporters.

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