SFA panel shines spotlight on missed red card as major VAR error receives unanimous verdict
Aberdeen, Celtic, Rangers and Hibs decisions addressed
The Scottish FA has shone the spotlight on a major VAR error which took place in the William Hill Premiership last weekend after it was determined that a red card offence was missed.
The Key Match Incident panel, which features five represenatatives from within Scottish football circles, meets on a weekly basis to re-examine refereeing and VAR decisions from the previous fixture card before delivering a verdict on the outcome.
In total, the KMI panel reviewed 13 incidents from the six matches which took place on March 29 and 30 and found one incorrect decision had been made over a potential sending off.
It centred around a tackle made by Aberdeen striker Pape Habib Gueye on Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday during the match at Pittodrie on Saturday.
The Senegalese striker was guilty of a knee-high challenge on Halliday while the match was still tied at 1-1. The Dons went on to win 4-1 and seal their place in the top six but Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer felt the decision not to send off Gueye was a game changer.
“I think if the referee (Ross Hardie) gave a red card, no-one wants to say it's not a red card,” Wimmer said. “I saw a tackle in the high from the knee and this is for me a red card.
"But it's a decision from the referee. We have to accept this and we have to play football and not discuss the referee. But a red changed the situation, of course.”
Halliday himself addressed the tackle but pinned the blame on VAR official Don Robertson.
"For me, that tackle was a red card 30 years ago, never mind just now,” the former Rangers man said. “I don't put too much blame on the referee.
"He's obviously seen something that maybe wasn't there, but for me VAR's there to help Ross (Hardie) and help the officials and somehow they've not managed to do that.
"It was a scissor motion just below the knee. I've not seen it back. I’m not going to talk about certain professionals in the game but I think if my leg's planted it could be a nasty one for me. I think I'm lucky that after I play the pass my leg's already in an upwards motion and it's not planted on the ground."
The KMI panel unanimously agreed that the tackle merited a red card and that an onfield review should have been recommended by VAR. The report stated: “The panel unanimously agreed that the on-field decision was incorrect. The panel highlighted VAR should have intervened to recommend an OFR and a red card should have been awarded. “
The panel also reviewed a Celtic penalty claim in their 3-0 win over Hearts after the ball struck Harry Milne on the arm in the early stages while the match was still goalless, but unanimously agreed with the VAR decision not to intervene.
A Rangers penalty claim for a challenge on Danilo by Dundee’s Cesar Garza was also dismissed while the panel agreed that there was no foul in the build-up to Simon Murray’s second minute opener in the Dens Park clash, with Rangers won 4-3.
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