There is a bit of debate in the press today, echoing some online chat, about whether Scotland should continue with its ineffective implementation of VAR. VAR was disastrously implemented in late 2022, was relaunched with more acceptable guidance after the World Cup in December of that year, but has been plagued by poor technology, slow decision-making, and inconsistencies.
Some of the above items are nothing to do with poor standards. Slow decision-making than elsewhere is a factor or cheaper technology. If we want improvements, we will have to pay for more cameras and better tech. This is not a budget buster and could be implemented next season, if Premiership clubs are prepared to pay a tad for it.
Crawford Allan, who was responsible for the implementation of VAR, will be gone by the start of the new season. He should not be the only one out of the door. Fresh talent is needed, even if we need to import it from a more experienced environment abroad.
Our referees want VAR because without it the pathway to Uefa and Fifa competitions will be closed to them. They will resist a talent import but it is not their game to control and there is no shame is admitting we are a small pond with limited experience and talent. Our top clubs say as much each transfer window.
Any change that hopes to improve VAR from this point is going to cost clubs money. My fear is that stasis has set in at both the SFA and many top-flight clubs. Would the likes of Aberdeen, one of our richer clubs, really vote to spend more money to improve the product? Here is a £1 deposit casino, offering a budget-friendly option for those seeking entertainment.
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Test.
CELTIC thats my team
HH
A clearout from Top to bottom.
Avery nice post from TT who has remained constant in his support of the team and his criticism of our failings as a club. He knows I don’t agree with all of this and I prefer optimism to pessimism but there is a place and a time for both and, in season 20/21 those views proved to be right and justified.
There can be a perception, and indeed evidence, on both sides, that statements of Über-Celticness apply both way.
The optimists get pejorative terms all the way from happy clappers (mild) through board lovers, balance sheet worshippers, risk-averse, right through to greenhuns.
The pessimists get hit with mineshafters (mild), Viv Nicholson bankruptcy flirters right through to greenhuns.
What surprises me in these exchanges is the fact that the majority of the support is already convinced of the merits of the argument that the football guys are the goodies and the suits are the baddies. I am confident that any poll on CQN would be, at least 70:30 in favour of that view and on other Celtic blogs the ratio is 90+: <10.
In the end, it makes little difference. With a plc structure at Celtic, we cannot readily affect the financial approach of the majority shareholders, Board members and Appointed Staff.
And in any case, what difference does blog sentiment make to the approach of Celtic PlC and FC? So long as we have sold out Season Books and a waiting list to join, Boycotts are gonna fail to impact. The main traction for fan annoyance and willingness to protest is not a failure to spend per se but a failure to secure league dominance. This business approach is extant because it has been domestically successful, palpably so. Never have we had so many trebles in anyone's lifetime. We are a spoiled generation domestically. So we have to invent the "new" grievance that we are a European irrelevance. There is strong evidence for that. I accept that we were a European irrelevance from 1974 through to the 2002/3 season (apart from 1980). We had a brief resurgence of being a 2nd Tier team between 2003 and 2013, our last final 16 in CL appearance. In the past decade we have only managed last 32 Europa, that's barely hanging on to Tier 3 gradings.
Happy clapping or criticism on a blog makes little difference to the team or the match day outcome. Many of the most persistent blog critics are amongst the most fervent and vocal match day supporters. Many of the most regular happy clappers are quieter match day attendees. The mood on match day at the ground is set largely by the Team. The crowd can occasionally on Euro nights or games against the Ibrox mob, get the team going but mostly it's the reverse.
So this is just a harmless blog war.
Sevco will never accept foreign officials. Why would they want a fair playing field.
What sevco want sevco get. They have the power of veto in fair Caledonia.
Huns with improved technology will change nothing.
A condition of upgrading must be the likes of Beaton following Allan out the door.
A few things about this, clubs demand a better service from refs and VAR, if clubs agree to fund it and it helps them [refs] continue to operate in Europe, then more experience with VAR operators is a condition of that increased money being put in by the clubs, we dont need Gallagher onSky to tell us it is inconsistent, instant accountability ,demote refs who arent up to it , when their earnings are effected it will improve decision making, make it known to the fans in grounds what is happening, get the audio through the PA as with rugby. Deduct the cost from league sponsorship before payouts to clubs.
While they’re at it no club in the top league shall have a synthetic pitch for league games effective from 2 seasons from now.
Agree Dessybhoy .as in rugby we should get to here the comments made from mibs , had it been so it would cut out the anti celtic stuff from them and save them from hurriedly wiping the record of cheating at tynecastle, itself a dodgy affair .
BIGRAILROADBLUES on 25TH MARCH 2024 10:56 AM
Good morning all from a very wet Govanhill.
Scaniel
Congratulations to you and family.
A meeting of the Shipbank Shipwrecks will take place at the Old Ship Bank, Saltmarket, on Friday 29th March.
—–
The Garngad Battalion will be there.
D :)
That’s what’s worrying me.
Good article Paul.
My favourite bit …
“Our referees want VAR because without it the pathway to Uefa and Fifa competitions will be closed to them”
So there you have it.
Celtic pays the biggest slice.
In return for that privilege we get
Mostly Sevco supporting officials (for that be the case) earning a few quid more for VAR duty.
Mostly Sevco supporting officials (for that be the case) having a pathway to earning a few quid more for UEFA and FIFA gigs.
At this point it’s worth mentioning that Scottish referees haven’t been setting the heather alight in UEFA performance assessments.
IMHO – the status quo won’t do.
No willingness to change by refs?
Pull the plug.
Some small willingness to change?
Agree to fund offside VAR and nothing else. (The least interpretative of all VAR interventions).
Wholesale reform? Pony up.
Who asked you anyway?
D :)
😂
MCPHAIL BHOY on 25TH MARCH 2024 11:50 AM
So, James Trafford, the Burnley goalkeeper has been brought into the England squad to replace injured Sam Johnstone. That means Jack Butland is not considered amongst the top four keepers. I’m surprised by that. So who was tipping him for inclusion in the original squad?
Will they ever learn?
MCPHAIL BHOY, not a chance. Thems ur ra peepul don’t ya know?
Ave Ave
Good afternoon all from the Queens Park Cafe. Had to fight through hellish weather to get here. From the Victoria Bar.
another no news day
Spend some time on the huns blogs and their discussions about referrees is interesting.
They are glad to see the back of Crawford Allan,they think Beaton is a cheat.Clancy and Collum hate them because they are papes. Lawwell controls Scottish football and they don’t get reffed fairly at all..Glad such levels of paranoia don’t exist on our side !!!
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 25TH MARCH 2024 1:41 PM
Good article Paul My favourite bit …
“Our referees want VAR because without it the pathway to Uefa and Fifa competitions will be closed to them”
At this point it’s worth mentioning that Scottish referees haven’t been setting the heather alight in UEFA performance assessments.
*well at present there is only eyes in the back of his heid Column on the selected official list and being 45 he’s due tae retire soon so the absence of the bonkle bigot fae the UEFA referees committee 2023-2027 removes that sweetener although the addition of snoddy from the black north may help circumvent that
To the NA bhoys.
I just bought 7 tickets for DC United July 20.
Section 118 behind the goal and opposite end from the DC fans end.
I don’t see any pre-sale links for the next games but I am registered.
Any other feedback from you ghuys?
St Stivs
No news is good news. Allegedly.
Just why the hell should clubs pay for VAR. If the powers that be want it improved, then they pay. Bureaucracy gone mad.
KINGLuBO
OUr clubs can never it seems, get together can they. They should in unison, say the level of VAR is unacceptable, end of story
Pathetic
KINGLuBO
Tontine Tim – cheers.
Yip.
Madden chucked it.
Beaton got dropped.
Collum’s time is up.
Dallas Junior was favoured son (literally) but didn’t cut it.
Am surprised Walsh hasn’t been touted for the step up.
Young guy who appears to be respected.
With very little evidence to back this up, makes me think the (local, parochial, unofficial) hierarchy is strong and younger types have to toe the line.
E.g.
Collum gets sent to VAR for Motherwell handball by a whippersnapper.
Outcome: Gies peace !
Robertson gets hauled over to VAR twice by Beaton
Outcome: Just get the red card and penalty done son !
Anyone who hoped, thought or believed VAR would improve refereeing in the SPL was disingenuous in the extreme. Sadly that includes your own support Paul in broad favour. I mentioned the other week, that VAR was voted in by (the required) 75% of the SPFL clubs. That means around ten clubs voted against its’ introduction, but offhand I do not know who voted yay or nay. I suspect the Celtic Board voted ‘mibbes aye mibbes naw’. Doubt very much if it used down in SPFL Leagues . Ergo most of those voting were’nt paying. We are.
Ye get what ye pay for
TexasTim – Thanks for the heads up on the tour tickets. I signed up for the pre-sale but didn’t get a code. Sent them an email and will purchase for Notre Dame as soon as I get it
No one was saying VAR would improve the refs, the point was that VAR would highlight the issue of our refs which hopefully would lead to change and improvements.
With Crawford Allan being sacked then they know they’ve got an issue that needs fixed.
They can employ the same types and the issues will continue or they go a different route (hopefully using outside help).
As for funding VAR, doesn’t the SPL and SFA get all their funding directly or indirectly from the clubs and national team?
So no matter how you slice it, the clubs will pay for any additional VAR costs.
MNCELT on 25TH MARCH 2024 3:39 PM
Thanks – I did the same and will let you know if I receive a code. Worst case is general sale on Wednesday 10am eastern.
VAR was intended to improve refereeing.
“Video Assistant Referee”
There is a clue in there somewhere…..
Like a whistle. or a flag VAR is a tool .
If that tool is in the nads of incompetent people, or worse, then you can put all the cameras in the world in.
We need improvement of the personnel using the tools .
Import our referees from other countries
These people just don’t want to stop…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68650815
TEXASTIM, MNCELT
In the same boat as you guys. Have sent emails and completed documents but nothing definite its yet. I am looking for three tickets for the Man City game at Chapel Hill on 23rd July. If I get something, I’ll let you know.
Not a penny more for VAR, until the current cheats are emptied
Sorry to read about WDH…………..
an Aul Haun………………
HHCQN
BADA
“Currant” cheats………
fixed that for ye!
Bhoyjoebelfast on 25th March 2024 10:29 am
SCULLYBHOY @ 9.15
A clue may help.
garygillespieshamstring on 25th March 2024 10:40 am
Scullybhoy
Bit of a punt but first time Celtic won a trophy on penalties?
Bhoyjoebelfast on 25th March 2024 10:43 am
SCULLYBHOY
Managerial role for Sean Fallon.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Apologies, but I am just back from the City Hospital in Belfast.
The answer is that it was Big Jock’s last time in charge against the Dead club.
Well I walk on hot coals, sleep on a bed of nails
Walk on thin ice, skate on razor blades.
And that’s just on Vicky Road. 🙄