Stuart Kettlewell lit up the internet by joining the dots in Scotland’s Shame.
Anywhere else outside of North Korea there would be round the clock coverage of the 73 match run that the Ibrox Tribute Act are on since a penalty was awarded against them in the SPFL.
That run now stands at 23 months, three managers and three prime ministers but has still to be touched on by BBC Scotland despite prompting from Richard Gordon in one of his other jobs with the Aberdeen based Evening Express.
After becoming a victim of one of the special shirt-pulls to deny his side full points Barry Robson told The Sun:
Obviously VAR has just not bothered looking at the block, it has just looked at the shirt pull. We are in trouble if this is the way it is going, aren’t we? We are in trouble.
It just doesn’t look good for me another VAR decision going Rangers’ way in the 90th minute. It doesn’t look good. I don’t know, I am just frustrated.
🔊 LISTEN: “I’m seeing them given as penalties constantly… Rangers themselves have benefitted from a number of incidents like that”.
🔸 Stuart Kettlewell believes Motherwell should’ve been awarded a penalty for a pull on Mika Biereth during their 2-0 defeat to Rangers. pic.twitter.com/CUVvnJYzKU
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) December 24, 2023
Motherwell were today’s victims with Kettlewell picking up on that theme, highlighting how the colour of jersey plays a role in the decision over whether a penalty is awarded- or ignored.
Football Scotland reports the Fir Park boss saying:
The one that was brought to my attention from our analyst is the pull on Mika Biereth’s arm. Backpost he looks favourite to get a touch on the ball. I am seeing them given as penalties constantly.
I think Rangers themselves have benefited from a number of incidents like that. But my question is are we actually checking them? We keep getting told everything is being checked.
I am not sure if that one has been specifically checked as I would defy anybody to tell me if it has been checked, we are ok with it. If that influences him from getting to the ball, I think we are all on the same page are we not?
That it has to be a penalty. From the naked eye and what I have seen live and on a replay, that looks like it has to be a penalty based on the benchmark is for giving penalties in this league.
I am not making excuses for it, it is just you would love one or two of these things to fall for you and they absolutely don’t. I watch highlights programmes every week and I see them given every single week.
Steven McLean will referee Wednesday’s match at home to Ross County with Nick Walsh in charge of Saturday’s Glasgow Derby.
CLICK HERE for highlights of Celtic beating Livingston 2-0.
Spot on it’s a disgrace the fact these get ignored yet The rangers get them as a given surely this needs every team to a stand up and say what’s going on
— TIM TAXIS (@cubanturkey) December 24, 2023
And that is why it is brilliant cheating .. rangers internationals get it and the pundits say well it was a pull .. so probably a penalty .. missing the fact that they are constantly ignoring pulls for other teams .cheating and it needs called out .and now everyone is seeing it
— stewart m (@stewartnextday) December 24, 2023
All teams have an increase in pens given against them since the intro of VAR bar Rangers, who stay flatlined at zero.This is not a anomaly. Every week Ranger’s benefit from officials decisions.Last team had a run like this was Barca who ended up investigated for bribing officials
— ColdWarStories (@ColdWar45_1990) December 24, 2023
Kettlewell knows whats going on
— thehunsaregoinbust(again) (@johnsmi50964256) December 24, 2023
The Rangers seem to be only team benefiting from checks by VAR shocking cheating at a new level one that is not being challenged
— HAILHAIL67 (@HAILHAIL2x9) December 24, 2023
As ever, it’s not about the individual incident, it’s about the pattern. They never get given against, they always get given for
— The Hat (@The____Hat) December 24, 2023
The wrong shirt was pulled that’s why no penalty was awarded. Var is there to pick up on these incidents but it seems awards are selected very carefully and strangely inconsistently.
— Michael Dickson (@mdickson121) December 24, 2023
Time for the rest of SPFL club to vote no confidence in SFA refs.
— Bob. 🏴🍀🕊 (@Bob54920795) December 24, 2023
Everyone needs to continue to call out the decisions in sevco’s favour like this.
Otherwise it just becomes more and more normalised.
— JPTwentyTwo (@JPTwentyTwo22) December 24, 2023
💬 “Penalty Rangers”
Celtic chief Michael Nicholson’s cutting reply when quizzed on referees and VAR at AGMhttps://t.co/6vJYJ8p66Ihttps://t.co/6vJYJ8p66I
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) November 22, 2023
