A wise man once said: “A sword is only as good as its master”.
Though I’m sure they didn’t have VAR in medieval times, the quote still holds true.
Scrap VAR?
Once again, Celtic are deprived of a goal because of the poor use of VAR. I’ve seen a number of comments saying we should get rid of it. Indeed, Sweden voted to scrap its introduction early last year.
Just last month Norwegian fans also voted overwhelmingly to scrap VAR. The situation in Norway is a little more complicated though and it remains to be seen if the Norwegian FA will actually go through with it.
Ban Would Only Encourage Incompetence
Now, I can understand this viewpoint. But here’s the thing: VAR is just like any other tool. It’s how you wield it that matters. VAR in of itself isn’t corrupt or anti-Celtic, but there’s a growing body of evidence that suggests maybe some of the people controlling it are.
You wouldn’t give a toddler a machine gun and expect them to use it sensibly. So why then, do we expect a football association with decades of proven incompetence, bias and hidden agendas to use something like VAR properly?
Like Petulant Teenagers
I discussed this on ACSOM quite some time ago. My belief since this then hasn’t changed. If anything, events like Easter Road yesterday only reinforce it further. I previously said, to paraphrase: “The way Scottish football handles VAR is the same way a huffy teenager handles being asked to tidy their room.
“Their parents demand that they do it, but they really don’t want to. They just want things left as they were. So, they purposefully do a really pathetic job of it. Eventually, the frustrated parent just says “F*ck it! I’ll do it myself.”
Football fans are the frustrated parents and the footballing authorities are the petulant teenagers in this scenario.
Willful Misuse of Resources
I believe VAR is being deliberately mismanaged and misused in Scotland, all on a minimal budget, with the powers that be hoping that eventually fans will unite and demand that it is cancelled. Referees and their bosses can then return to their previous, totally unaccountable ways.
Yesterday was just the latest example of this. Now, for the record, I think the ball was probably out of play. I say “think” I do not know. And none of the TV angles I have seen up until now can prove conclusively that the ball left the field of play before it was cutback for Daizen Maeda to score.
“Probably” isn’t Good Enough
This is where Scottish football’s administrators show their true hand. Now, the VAR referee may have taken the same view I have: “That ball was probably out of play.”
That’s all fine and well, but “probably” is not how the rules work. Unless you are absolutely certain that the referee or his on field assistants have made a critical error, the referee’s decision stands.
People forget that one of the main obstacles to VARs initial introduction globally was from referees. They felt, in my opinion fairly, that the use of VAR could lead to their authority being diminished. So. FIFA handed down directives, which UEFA also implemented, and which Scotland, as a UEFA member is obligated to follow, stating that VAR should not be used to overrule a referee unless a “clear and decisive” error has been made.
The Media will Turn a Blind Eye as Usual
Now, was the decision to cancel out Maeda’s second goal decisive? Absolutely.
Was the decision based on a clear error? Never in a million years.
Celtic can and should pursue this. The media will of course try to make light of it, especially since Rangers’ capitulation to St. Mirren a couple of hours later ultimately rendered the final result meaningless to Celtic in the grand scheme of things.
The same couldn’t be said for the teams in and around Hibs in the league though. We all know that the lopsided structure of Scottish football’s top flight means securing a top 6 finish is vital to clubs looking for one more big pay day against Celtic and Rangers.
This Isn’t Just About Celtic
Hibs victory yesterday ensured they stay 5th in the table, and affords them a 5-point cushion over 7th placed Ross County. From County’s perspective, a 5-point deficit is far more difficult to overcome than a 3 point one.
And its not just them. Motherwell, Hearts and Kilmarnock are all clustered close together in the bottom half of the table, just a point or two behind Ross County. A Hibs draw or defeat yesterday would have boosted all their hopes of sneaking into the top 6.
If it was “You Know Who” the Statements Would be Out Already
But of course, the mainstream media won’t give this any coverage because, its only the “wee diddy teams” who might be affected anyway.
Had such misfortune befallen the inhabitants of Ibrox, then we all know the crayons would have been out and a statement would have been online within the hour.
It’s time for Celtic to stop treating this with kid gloves. The integrity of our game is at stake. The leaders of Scottish football need to find the money to do VAR properly. As a Celtic fan, if that means our club needs to subsidize it, then so be it.
To use poker terminology, I’d rather bankroll some of the other players than be forced to play using a stacked deck.