Ex-refs slam 'bonkers' VAR in Rangers vs St Johnstone as decision highlights 'problem' with modern officiating

Former referees Bobby Madden and Mark Clattenburg are adamant that St Johnstone winger Kai Fotheringham shouldn’t have been sent off in their 4-0 defeat to Rangers on Saturday.

At a windy and rainy Ibrox Stadium, in the second half the Saints wide man caught Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin high on his leg after winning the ball. Referee Chris Graham initially gave Fotheringham a yellow card, however after being sent to the monitor by VAR Andrew Dallas, the card was upgraded to a red for ‘serious foul play’.

With the Gers already 3-0 up in the match through a brace from striker Kevin Kelsy and a tap-in from partner Ryan Naderi, the decision itself had minimal impact on the outcome. Light Blues midfielder Tochi Chukwuani subsequently made it four to put the game to bed. However, Fotheringham will now miss St Johnstone’s next fixtures against Motherwell at home and Kilmarnock away through suspension.

Why was VAR wrong at Ibrox?

While former English Premier League whistler Clattenburg isn’t disputing that Fotheringham caught the Belgian, he claims he shouldn’t have saw red due to the lack of force and intent. He also explained how modern attitudes towards refereeing are having a negative effect on the game.

Speaking alongside Madden on the So Near Yet So VAR podcast, he said: "If you look at the point of contact, and this is what destroys me, you'll see it on Twitter, and that still image. If it weren't a red card, everybody would be showing that picture and going, 'How's that not a red card?' But you don't see the context of it. This is the problem with still pictures. This is the way the game has gone now. It's bonkers."

Former SPFL referee Madden echoed his thoughts that the officiating team for the clash at Ibrox got it wrong. He added: "The contact is absolutely minimal. You need to look at the full criteria. And for me, it doesn't meet it."

What did Simo Valakari say about the Rangers vs St Johnstone VAR flashpoint?

After the match, St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari had ‘no complaints’ about the result or the red card, despite many protests from his players on the pitch. The Finn said: "It’s a disappointing result - but no complaints. Rangers deserved to win. We could not handle them. We changed a couple of things for the second half and played very well for the first 15 minutes.

“When you get your chances, you have to take them. We did not and with the quality of the opponent, they will take their chances and it's game over. We had a couple of close moments and that's the disappointment. You need to take your chances. I've seen [the red card] quickly and I think Kai is a little bit unlucky. He wins the ball but the follow through is high and caught the opponent. No complaints there."

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