Celtic idol shreds SFA after what he saw – ‘it’s absolutely horrendous’
Frank McAvennie has lambasted the SFA for the use of VAR in the Scottish Cup fifth round ties.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Celtic striker said that it was unfair to use VAR in some of the ties and not all of them.
As relayed by the Scottish Daily Express (8 February), only two of the 16 Scottish Cup ties that took place at the weekend, despite four of them being played at Scottish Premiership grounds.
Celtic and Rangers were the only two top flight sides that had the technology in operation.
The technology is said to cost teams £10,000 per tie to have VAR in operation and both Dundee United and Livingston did not use the technology.
As quoted by The Herald (9 February), Livingston boss David Martindale said his side would not be using the technology because of the cost.
McAvennie was not impressed by the decision from the organisers.
“Only in Scotland can we mess up things like that,” he told Football Insider.
“In fairness of play you wonder why they are doing it. It is not fair. You can’t have some having it and some not. It is absolutely horrendous in Scotland.
“They don’t know how to use it. The whole thing about VAR was to help people, not to have the referee be front and centre every game.
“You just can’t celebrate now. I have not got a kind word to say about the referees, they are just not doing it. There is three of them getting it wrong now.
“They had it at Morton in the last round and these guys are not used to it and it is not right. They brought VAR in half way through the season, who would do that? It is all just ridiculously stupid for me.“
In other news, McManus has issued ‘big’ Giorgos Giakoumakis claim after ‘surprise’ Celtic development.