Ex-referee points out fatal flaw in Rangers vs Celtic ‘offside’ VAR narrative

The handball incident (Image: Sky Sports)

Former referee Steve Conroy reckons Rangers were robbed of a clear penalty during today’s pulsating Old Firm showdown.

Conroy is adamant Phillipe Clement’s side should have had a spot-kick when Alistair Johnston knocked the ball out of play with his right hand under pressure from Abdallah Sima.

Sky Sports indicated that the handball was not allowed to stand because Sima was offside – but Conroy is pointing out that VAR can’t get involved in an offside situation when checking for a penalty.

Conroy told https://sportslens.co/uk/: “Rangers have been robbed of the chance of levelling the game with a penalty kick. It was a clear penalty.

“Offside is irrelevant. VAR can only check for an offside if there is a consequence -ie a goal. There wasn’t.

“Willie Collum is there to check whether there was a hand ball or not.

“The telling situation is that the game was restarted with a goal kick – not an indirect free kick, which would have been the case if the offside was awarded.”