Yesterday, the SFA announced Head of Referee Operations, Crawford Allan, will leave the position at the end of the season. The statement was tellingly lengthy and confirmed a few areas of concern. Specifically, the departure “will effect a review of the existing role and remit to reflect the demands placed on it by the introduction and optimisation of VAR.”
VAR in Scotland was plagued by poor preparation ahead of its introduction in 2022. Referee guidance was inappropriate and led to a spike in penalties from handball offences that perplexed most observers.
The reset button was pressed during the World Cup break in November and December 2022, following which referee guidance seemed to flip to an anything goes handball rule inside the box. For some.
Poor preparation, no apparent monitoring and revision strategy, then an over-compensation when guidance was changed, all led to a sense that the Head of Referee Operations was built for simpler times. This is Scotland, though, so poor performance did not lead to immediate consequences. It looks like Allen was given time to get fixed up elsewhere. This is how The System works.
SFA chief exec, Ian Maxwell, dammed with faint praise. “The introduction of VAR has been a thankless task”. Diplomatically put, but it need not have been so thankless. Maxwell went on to say, “the VAR processes need to improve”, and holds what you and I could interpret as a white flag when it comes to “subjective areas such as the handball law.”
Allan himself appears to accept his key failure, “VAR is only one aspect of the role, albeit one that can overshadow the positive strides we have taken forward.” So, VAR under the outgoing head was clearly not a positive stride forward.
A thankless task it may be but get the basics right. Allowing VAR cameras to double as B-video for broadcasters was an enormous mistake, not repeated anywhere else in Europe, and led to a camera focussing on the dugout area, instead of watching the offside line when Jota scored at Fir Park. Fuelling the fire, VAR disallowed the goal, despite not having the evidence. Allan should have resigned the following morning for creating impossible circumstances for his officials.
His personal moment in the limelight came a year before VAR. Celtic defeated Hearts 1-0 with a Kyogo goal, which, according to Allen on BBC Radio Scotland, should probably have been flagged for offside. He may be right, it was a tight call, but there was no definitive camera angle, so all we can rely on to truly inform us is out heart’s desire.
The incident was the only time he publicly cut across his officials and came at a time when Ange Postecoglou’s side were metamorphosising from a midtable disaster into table toppers. Celtic fans were rightly concerned that the SFA had regressed to their old ways.
What comes next is the important question. Newco have openly been locked in a battle for control of the SPFL for some years; lobbying happens and works. The Head of Referee Operations position is not the best renumerated position at the SFA but it is its most influential. We should be concerned. Maybe I should apply.
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The time for Celtic to evidence some leadership and influence on the conduct of the game in Scotland is with Allun Krawfurds replacement………NOT another hun – no not one!
Foreigner / just no’ anither hun with a season book…………….
Show some baws please CSC
Banksy on St Patrick’s day.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/new-banksy-mural-appears-on-building-in-london-180983969/
EXPAT_CELT, MNCELT, TEXASTIM, BOONDOCK SAINT et al.
Let’s keep each other posted and try and sort a game or two out. North Carolina and Notre Dame I can do with ease. Can’t see tickets yet.
St. Stivs: Breithlá sona duit. 🎂🎂🎂
Tickets for the match will go on general sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, March 27 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Fans can sign up now for an exclusive 24-hour presale which will also be accessible to Season Ticket holders at http://www.FCSeries.com. The pre-sale window will be open from 10am on 25th March.
Good to see the other side of the pond lookin forward to the visit of Celtic.Hope you all get sorted with tickets.
Hail Hail
TET & Melbourne Mick
If your looking in you both have email.
HH
AT
tets email from memory is
nohunshere@hotmail.com and nohunshere@protonmail,me
https://archive.ph/NiIeA/again?url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2024-03-19/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israeli-influence-op-targets-u-s-lawmakers-on-hamas-unrwa/0000018e-5098-d282-a19f-7dd95cc70000
Israeli cyber operation on US lawmakers and attacks on unwra/hamas link.
Hail Hail
Clunks
Yeh tried that and others too.will see what happens.i know MM’s page kept blacking out due to Adverts,hopefully botb will reply.the ads for the basic user are horrendous here for the basic user.
Did you ever approach Paul bout limiting them?
AT
Giddy about the US tour. Taking that week off work and hopefully a good roadtrip for the ages beckons.
3 places I have never been.
HH brother.
AIPPLE
lets hope it happens for all you bhoys your side of the pond,no doubt you will be subject to the usual market forces(rip offs on tickets/hotels etc)
Am sure you’ll find a roof somewhere buddy good luck to all
Hail Hail
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68610772
I’ll bet he does !
Good night CQN
AN TEARMANN on 19TH MARCH 2024 11:30 PM
Clunks
Yeh tried that and others too.will see what happens.i know MM’s page kept blacking out due to Adverts,hopefully botb will reply.the ads for the basic user are horrendous here for the basic user.
Did you ever approach Paul bout limiting them?
———-
sorry matey, not with you here
What you mean?
emails, am with you
If you cant get TET on there?
Then thats worrying
Will reach out and see what happens
AN TEARMAN
Recently I bought a new Android tablet (Samsung) and when using Chrome for CQN was demented by adverts covering whole page.
5 minutes to install Duckduckgo as search engine problem solved, no more adverts.
Don’t know if Apple users can install a different search engine
HH
AIPPLE on 19TH MARCH 2024 10:01 PM
EXPAT_CELT, MNCELT, TEXASTIM, BOONDOCK SAINT et al.
Let’s keep each other posted and try and sort a game or two out. North Carolina and Notre Dame I can do with ease. Can’t see tickets yet.
Aipple – was thinking along the same lines; glad you got the message out first – I’ve already priced the flights for a 3 stop round trip, starting in Houston with Mrs TT and I. Not sure what I’ll do with our kids and the dog yet!
Noted on ticket info – thanks for sharing.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL @ 5:28 PM,
“On the wider note I’ve no doubt there are technical and practical challenges associated with VAR.
Regardless, the implementation has been shambolic.
It has shone a light on the lack of capability in the SFA ranks.
VAR only needs to answer three questions.
Without re-refereeing the game remotely
1. Was it offside?
2. Was it a penalty?
3. Was it a red card?
Not complicated.
I’ve responded to similar points on another channel and your post get’s to the heart of the matter…
It has shone a light on the SFA, why before this high profile hearing has the SFA issued a statement that is as close to a mea culpa as these guys get?
It isn’t complicated but the charge brought against our Manager is interesting.
“Notice of Complaint | Brendan Rodgers, Manager, Celtic FC
Wednesday 6 March 2024
Alleged Party in Breach: Brendan Rodgers, Manager, Celtic FC
Date: Sunday 3 March 2024
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Match: Heart of Midlothian FC v Celtic FC
Disciplinary Rule allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 72. No recognised football body, club, official, Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA, shall in an interview, a ‘blog’ on the internet, on a social networking or microblogging site, or in any other manner calculated or likely to lead to publicity (i) criticise the Decision(s) and/or performance(s) of any or all match official(s) in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official; or (ii) make remarks about such match official(s) which impinge on his character. For the avoidance of doubt this Rule applies (i) whether reported to the Scottish FA by a match official for Misconduct or otherwise, and (ii) where remarks are brought to the Scottish FA’s attention, or of which the Scottish FA becomes aware, by whatever manner or means. There shall be a presumption that any material published in such manner was published in the name of and/or with the authority of the person or body bearing to have published the material.
Hearing date: Thursday 28 March 2024”
It’s as per, a catch all, going by the letter of the rule R2ngers could have been charged over half a dozen times this season.
The brow beating of Willie Collum and others consistently ignored.
Yet it’s “incompetence” that seems to be the basis for the charge, it’s not a matter of proving whether the Officials in question are competent or not, the crime is “indicating” it.
So guilty as charged mi’lord
Yet Brendan Rodgers was quite specific in his criticism.
He stated the match had been officiated off the field of play and that crucial match decisions had been taken by VAR.
Now the SFA seem to admit things are far from ideal with VAR in their statement on Mr Allan’s departure…
“Crawford’s departure to pursue new opportunities will effect a review of the existing role and remit to reflect the demands placed on it by the introduction and optimisation of VAR.
This will coincide with a planned review of the operational priorities of the department based on the insights to date from VAR implementation, as well as feedback from Category One Match Officials and VAR operators, the Scottish FA’s Professional Game Board, the SPFL’s Competitions Working Group and the Independent Review Panel.”
Of course you could suggest that this doesn’t howl competence, yet it hardly admits incompetence.
However, back to Brendan’s point.
That important match defining decisions were made by VAR.
The Referee had seen the Yang incident and the linesman was in close proximity, the on field decision was a yellow card.
It was a reasonable decision
The “handball” by Tomoki for the penalty was likewise far from a stonewall penalty so not awarding a penalty was a reasonable decision.
Of course, another catch all is that the final decision lies with the match referee who took the decisions, so it is at least nuanced to say that VAR took the decisions.
Yet consider this, VAR should not intervene unless they have seen a clear and obvious error, it is therefore reasonable for a referee to assume that the VAR has spotted an error or oversight and should be questioning their decision.
Yet what is apparent, is that neither of these decisions were clear and obvious errors, by the match officials.
So, it could certainly be argued that the referee on the field took a subjective decision in both cases that were not wrong.
In which case VAR’s interference was (in the land of our old friend) Ultra vires.
VAR’s scope, in a match situation is fundamental and critical to the match officiating, if the VAR official does not understand that scope and act within their powers granted, surely this is a case of incompetency.
Aff oot.
Hail Hail
Ffs just typed a long post and got logged out before i posted.
This site is a shambles
Tried to post a few times, adverts, adverts, logged out, frozen.
That’s why a number of posters I speak to post about once a day now.
D. :)
I use duckduckgo on my phone and I don’t get adverts, very few issues, occasionally I have to login, I use ad blocker on my laptop.
I downloaded the Brave app on my android and have no issues 👍
CLUNKS on 20TH MARCH 2024 12:26 AM
emails, am with you
If you cant get TET on there?
Then thats worrying
Will reach out and see what happens
============================
Emails are the easy part Clunks,i hope TET responds and comes back.
No,the bit i was looking for answers to were the adverts,and notification of them to site users,not all may have the know how to download x,y or z browser to use the site and if they do change it may mean access problems to other sites needed by that user.
In short its a choice between site user and adverts,and i think we see which is winning,pity that,i prefer site users who i guess wont be back.
AN TEARMANN on 20TH MARCH 2024 7:45 AM
No,the bit i was looking for answers to were the adverts,and notification of them to site users,not all may have the know how to download x,y or z browser to use the site and if they do change it may mean access problems to other sites needed by that user.
AT, a couple of points. I would think that most of us on here now would be able to follow the simple download instructions that comes with htese sites, and if not get someone (family/friend) to do it for them. I still use Chrome on my laptop, with Java disabled and running AdBloc in the back ground and get zero adverts, ever. However eventually I had to download DuckDuckGo on both my tablet and phone as I just couldn’t get my pages on CQN to move on.
A second point is that I use DuckDuckGo for all my Celtic ‘stuff’ and for that only – therefore that means I have no access problems to other sites so users need not fear losing that access.
I agree with DAVID66 that we should not have to go through these hoops (Hoops?) just to access the site, but needs must?
Happy scrolling.
Ave Ave
Good morning all from Alfredos Bar. The sort of dive that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan.
FESS19 on 20TH MARCH 2024 2:31 AM
AN TEARMAN
Recently I bought a new Android tablet (Samsung) and when using Chrome for CQN was demented by adverts covering whole page.
5 minutes to install Duckduckgo as search engine problem solved, no more adverts.
Don’t know if Apple users can install a different search engine.
—————
I use Duck Duck Go for all my internet use on my iPhone and never get annoying adverts.
Can assist with downloading advice if anyone needs it for their phone, laptop or whatever.
👍
Emerald Bee.Melvin Udall
Yip i agree there is no shortage of advice or help from us to each other browser choice,blockers etc,and good on youz for doing so.👍
We are all equipped on it and how to handle it, but a lot of users have problems and cant reconcile use of cqn with their other t’internet uses on their own browsers.hence sadly they vanish of the site.
HH
Cheeky wee article on CQN highlights a potential price for Adam Idah of £5m being reported darn sarf …. and opining this is on the high side.
I’d agree.
No decision required just now.
Clearly it depends on Adam’s contribution over the next couple of months.
Squad management is a challenge everywhere plus, I believe, Norwich lack quality and depth out wide.
Adam plus £5m … in exchange for Mikey Johnston …. could be a solution that suits all parties.
AN TEARMANN on 20TH MARCH 2024 10:31 AM
————-
Good points AT. Maybe the Mods could reach out privately to those that are clearly having issues and advise them the best way(s) to sort it.
BRRB- 1970s Manhattan…..
BADA, did you get any more info on lost audio tapes?
Ave Ave
Last year in my 40’s just arrived!
Need to seek financial advice on how much longer until I get to be BRRB.
Sevco desperately trying to squeeze the Dundee fixture in just ahead of our visit.
Enjoyable stuff watching them splutter when they lose control of events.
What do you think that says about their psyche …and the need to be top of the league when we meet?
Wasn’t supposed to be this way.
In their parallel universe, Timmy was supposed to quietly fade away and implode …. a la COVID season ….
… clearing an unobstructed path for Sevco to progress effortlessly, imperiously and majestically towards the title.
We’ve got them rattled for sure.
new article posted.
See the Sporting Director at Bournemouth Richard who was linked with us ,seemingly he is going to Liverpool along with Michael Edwards them two highly regarded,will our club appoint a Sporting Director,first thing I would do is get rid of them Grey suits that all the Celtic personnel wear,when did we ever have grey clothing.
Baws burst…………