Ex-Premier League referee issues VAR verdict as new Celtic and Rangers claim emerges – ‘There’s a number of red flags’
Keith Hackett has claimed there are a number of “red flags” as Celtic, Rangers and the rest of the Scottish Premiership are set for VAR next season.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee insisted the Scottish FA needs to nail “education and communication”.
BBC Sport reported last week (19 April) that all but one of the SPFL clubs voted in favour of introducing VAR.
It is scheduled to launch when the league resumes following the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar in December.
“Potentially there’s a number of red flags,” Hackett told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“The authorities have got to make certain that they are trained.
“I would like them to say that a person who referees on a weekend cannot be on VAR the same weekend. There should be a gap. The appointment process is important.
“The training of everybody on VAR is important and how do you get them up to speed?
“If I was the Scottish FA I’d use the World Cup as a training ground. VAR sat in one room and a referee in another, both watching a World Cup game.
“You’re getting up to speed with the principles. When are you going to come in? What’s a clear and obvious error?
“When you’ve reviewed that game you can discuss it.
“The alternative is simulating the use of VAR in that gap period of the World Cup to train the officials. They’ve got to do it and could use footage from the first part of the season.
“You then need communication training as a referee with VAR.
“I don’t think the timing matters too much if they use that break correctly.
“The Scottish FA do things brilliantly but have they got the money to provide the level of training that is required.
“The other issue is because it’s the World Cup, what discussions can they have with the clubs and players?
“Instead of managers going negative with their post-match comments they can understand the impact of VAR and what it will do.
“It’s all about education and communication of the system.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has saluted “success” after a Rangers-Celtic agreement is reached.