Steven Kirkland’s VAR role comes under suspicion

Steven Kirkland was at the centre of the VAR chaos at Ibrox yesterday as Phil Clement’s side came from behind to secure a 4-1 win and remain in the SPFL title race.

Within two minutes of the match kicking off the Ayrshire VAR was halting play for a ridiculous handball claim against Corrie Ndaba, so ridiculous that even David Dickinson rejected the chance to delight his family and award a penalty.

That decision set the tone, sending a message to Kilmarnock that Kirkland was on the job, looking as closely as John Beaton in a match involving Celtic.

Steven Kirkland tried to give rangers 3 penalties today and also looked to chalk off a perfectly good Killie goal. Same guy who is listed as having already mistakenly awarded 2 penalties to them this season. Who keeps giving him their games? We see you Steven. pic.twitter.com/mKhAxdfQJZ

— Tam (@coybig6721) May 5, 2024

The SFA don’t trust Kirkland to referee above SPFL League One but give him VAR appointments for the biggest games in the country.
Out on the pitch his most recent matches have been at Stranraer, Arbroath, Spartans and Falkirk.

Why he gets top VAR appointments only Crawford Allan can explain but at the start of February he denied that a block had been placed on Willie Collum getting matches involving Clement’s side.

If by some coincidence Kirkland had an outstanding eye for operating VAR there could be a case for his appointments, maybe he picks up better on detail on a screen than on a pitch.

To the surprise of no-one that isn’t the case, when the SFA issued their second ‘independent’ VAR review it highlighted just 13 mistakes. Two of them involved Kirkland, on both occasions his mistakes favoured the same club.

In November with the score 0-0 at Livingston a penalty was awarded after a ridiculous dive by Ross McCausland.

In December Abdallah Sima copied the Goldson trademark of pulling an opponents jersey, when the reaction came in he fell to the ground with a penalty awarded.

At both matches Kirkland was the VAR official, watching replays, taking in all of the angles and deciding that the penalty decision was correct.

On Tuesday morning the SFA will announce the officials for Saturday’s Glasgow Derby with Nick Walsh, Don Robertson and Steven McLean expected to be involved.

It should never have been a red card and it would never have been a red card or even a penalty if it was the other way round. Scottish referees favour 1 team and 1 team only, The newco rangers. Corrupt to the core! https://t.co/6LMIlltaGz

— Michael McCahill (@MichaelMcCahi10) May 5, 2024

The independent review of recent VAR incidents found rangers were wrongly awarded two penalties against Dundee and Livingston.
Steven Kirkland was on VAR on both these occasions.

— Terry O’Neill (@terryoneill67) February 15, 2024