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The VAR Review is a monthly show that gives Scottish football fans a behind the scenes look at some of the big decisions made across the game – whether they are right or whether they are wrong – and how those decisions are reached. Get unique insight through the use of VAR and referee audio.
Host Gordon Duncan is joined by Head of Refereeing, Willie Collum, for the latest show, which looks back at matches in January and February 2025, across both the SPFL Premiership and Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup.
00:00 – Show Introduction
00:26 – Dundee v Rangers
03:55 – Ross County v Celtic
07:32 – Aberdeen v St Mirren
08:33 – Celtic v Kilmarnock
10:39 – Ross County v Hibernian
14:17 – Hibernian v Aberdeen
15:23 – Dundee United v Rangers
21:40 – Rangers v Aberdeen
24:19 – Heart of Midlothian v Kilmarnock
27:36 – St Mirren v St Johnstone
29:54 – Kilmarnock v Dundee United
33:00 – Show Outro
© The Scottish Football Association 2025
This video is copyrighted by the Scottish FA and must not be republished either in its entirety and/or clips without the prior written consent of the Scottish FA.
44 Comments
The fact we need a monthly review to discuss these decisions speaks volumes.
The officiating is Scotland is shocking. From top to bottom, utter incompetence
“Apology to Rangers”
The Hibs handball is never a hand ball, he's legs and arms are moving to run which is natural, the ball bounces under the foot of op player and comes up and hits arm of Hibs moving arm, player had no idea and lost vision of ball. It's not going into the goal, it's not even going to an opposition player, so never a penalty
Every decision right except Nick WALSH???
Bushiri= no pen Soutter= definite pen?
That Hibs v Ross County penalty – no intention to handle, arm out for balance, no consequence, ball out of play, player looks surprised it hit his arm at all. Cannot see why this would be a penalty. The Dundee United goalie incident is not just a body collision, the St Mirren player pushes him as he heads the ball – both anglea clearly show the goalie landing in a movement towards his post which demonstrates the change of direction caused by the push. A definite push, not just a passive collision. VAR says "There is no pushing movement" says VAR. THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE. The onfield ref was outside the box with a lot of players between him and the goalline so maybe not the best view for him, but the VAR guy…. well he actually says no pushing movement! Just watch how the goalie goes straightup and comes down sideways.
I dont get the last one with the goalkeeper. The attacker clearly connects with the keeper BEFORE he got the ball. And the connection is with the GKs arm, which is totally different an outfield player's hand.
I see that as a foul
I really appreciate that the SFA do this.
Transparency is so important.
Can you lift your hands aye or no
Gordon you should compare incidents from month to month and ask willie to explain why 2 incidents are exactly the same with different outcomes
Asking journalists to sit on a panel and make decisions about football matches under scrutiny is a complete lack of integrity by the SFA yet again.
VAR is not the issue, it’s the incompetence of the folk using it, no one wants to take responsibility any longer. Why not go and ask a few painter and decorators to sit in on it as well or wee Tam doon the pub?
The SFA are a disgrace, complete lack of integrity, accountability and transparency, hiding behind closed doors doing who knows what and getting a wage for it.
Destroying Scottish football for 150 years should be your Mission Statement. We’d have been better off with Laurel and Hardy running it.
Nick Walsh was clearly not familiar with the current laws of the game. "I see a slap towards the face i am going to send him off." He was trying to justify his decision with outdated laws.
Another cover-up in plain sight. The radio Snyde muppet tossing easy questions. Gollum talking nonsense as usual. The real questions and answers as follows: Why is it not a red card? Because it's a tackle against a Rangers player: Why can teams foul Rangers 7 or 8 times before a card is shown, but Rangers players are booked after 1 or 2 fouls? Because the Celtic supporting cabal are cheating. Why did Walsh ignore VAR and not book the Dundee Utd player? Because he supports Celtic and couldn't wait to send a Rangers player off. Why do Celtic not get controversial decisions given against them? Because the cabal protects them and we're scared of Liewell and their support. Why have you not disciplined Walsh? Because I support Celtic and hate Rangers.
There’s no way around it. Walsh is a cheat.
PENALTY CELTIC
So the the *rangers was minimum contact after stamping on his foot
But the Celtic was not even tho there was not clear vid of it haha shows how bad rangers are all that help and still 13 points behind
No referees being punished like the aftermath of the missed penalty in the old firm game ? SFA so rigged
Enjoying this analysis. Maybe overlay the law rule at each incident so fans can see the nuts & bolts of each law/rule????? Improve understanding.
The cadden handball is absolutely ludicrous.
VAR isn't the issue it's the idiots running it that need replacing.
Refs sound in some panic 🤣
Every week a wrong decision against rangers and another week of we need to make the right decision next time.
Love how the challenge with the goalkeeper can be subjective, but a slap in the face can't. Shocking decision to over turn that red card, slapping will become part of the game now, if the Dundee utd player then reacts with a slap then chaos breaks out, Collum and the SFA throwing Walsh under a bus for being what we all want, a strong referee.
Glasgow Ceptic. When cheating children out their innocence just isn’t enough.
Why don't you see the United players kick then 2 pushes is it because we're totally focusing on the rangers player,this player should have been sent off for a second yellow
How are you learning. It’s getting worse. It’s not just Rangers it’s always something every weekend. 1. We play in Scotland it’s more physical.(it’s not Spain or Italy) 2. Why isn’t it just one man who is on VAR for all games. You’d get more consistent decisions. 3. Even if more training is given and we magically get it right, teams have already gained an advantage.
Fair play to Willie Collum for doing this. His show has been an excellent success.
That nick Walsh should be demoted .
Just plain cheating and corruption in Scotland.
No wonder outsiders view our league as tin pot .
Nick Walsh just chose the Limmy route of don't back down, double down. He should not be refereeing ever again.
Part time employees part time results why do we expect anything else apart from the consistent dross
That hibs one is a foul arm behind the neck makes him win the ball.
If you done that on the street the police would have charged you with assault especially if a person had done that to a policeman carrying out his duties. Correct decision Red Card. Zero tolerance should be the benchmark because this HAS now created a Grey area and will make the Referees doubt their decision making process.
Joke
rubbish he stood on his foot, why not show that?
"aye it doesny tick any boaxes" 🤣🤣 shout out to the SFA for employing local scheme tramps.
Nick Walsh is a CHEAT !!
diomande strikes the Utd player with the left hand first, then the right hand
it was violent conduct, repeated strikes attempts, now you can attempt to strike someone but as long as you don't hit too hard then it's not a red
Amateurs
Willie Collum and this show deserve great credit for coming out and talking about these issues. Well done and it’s time for transparency and fairness. VAR is needed here and will get better. Hear Willie say “coaching” lots it helps!
The person running this channels is hiding gers fans and deleting messages. Wonder why
Don’t give them the views and they don’t make cash because their deleting message to control the narrative
Mad Scottish C3P0
Great episode again, thanks Willie for the explanations and Gordon for the great questions. Willie comes across as a decent bloke here, always thought he was an angry nutcase in his refereeing days 😅
Nick Walsh is the best referee in this country – I could not understand his decision with Diomande at the time, but with this audio you can see what he saw. That angle makes the incident look far far worse, but it doesn't show the actual distance of his finger tips from Holt's face (making zero/minimal contact).
We need more camera angles for VAR to be more successful.