Former top ref Steve Conroy has urged VAR to butt out and allow John Beaton to do his job in Sunday’s Old Firm firecracker – unless absolutely necessary.
Experienced duo Steven McLean and Kevin Clancy will be on the controls for the Ibrox crunch at the end of a week where the technology was again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
Martin O’Neill fears VAR could have a heavy impact on the title race while Celtic have called for a review into its use after Austin Trusty’s controversial red card against Hibs last Sunday which followed a video assistants’ intervention.
Rangers were also incensed at a lack of action in their draw at Livingston following an injury time challenge from Cammy Kerr on Mikey Moore.Ex-Grade One ref Conroy would welcome a review. But he insists that the call should come from within and not be at the behest of any single club.
Before then though the 59-year-old – who refereed at the top of the Scottish game for over a decade – has urged the VARs for Sunday’s powderkeg to do themselves a favour and stop interfering.He told MailSport: “It’s simple – don’t get involved in things that don’t need you.
“It’s just meddling.“We seem to be getting ourselves into so much bother with VAR because the people who are in charge are trying to make it complicated where, really, it’s not.
“It must be such a simple task to look at something repeatedly, decide whether a clear, obvious error has been made, and correct it if there is one.
“I’ve got a very simple mind. If it’s a matter of opinion then, for the good of the game and according to the laws of the game, the opinion of the referee must stand.“You can disagree and how boring would football be if we didn’t. You’re allowed to disagree, it’s encouraged.
“But that’s an opinion.
“The one opinion that must remain paramount is that of the referee on the park.“Not of the observer, not of the SFA department and certainly not of VAR.”
Trusty saw red against Hibs last weekend for violent conduct after throwing an arm to shake off the attention of Jamie McGrath at a corner.
Referee Matthew McDiarmid initially called the defender over for a word before VAR Grant Irvine intervened and told the officials to take a closer look on the monitor.Celtic lost an appeal over the decision and the US international now misses the next three games.
Conroy described the red card as “ludicrous” on The Ref’s View podcast which he hosts with Des Roache.
And asked if a review into how VAR is deployed would be useful, he told Mail Sport: “Internally yes.“But I don’t think it’s helped coming from any particular club. I’m not sure any club has been unscathed from VAR intervention.
“I don’t think it’s helpful if any one particular team comes out, it’s Celtic this time, it’s been Rangers, it’s been Hearts, it’s been whoever.
“I don’t think it’s innocent that these statements are made, particularly in the lead-up to games.”The SFA have named an experienced team of officials for the lunchtime showdown that could go a long way to deciding this year’s champions.
Beaton will be assisted by David McGeachie and Calum Spence while McLean and Clancy will be in front of the VAR screens in Clydesdale House.
Conroy said: “They’re putting in the big guns.