Bobby Madden and Michael Stewart in heated clash over controversial VAR call as pundit blasts ‘that’s not football’

FORMER SPFL referee Bobby Madden has clashed with Michael Stewart over a contentious VAR call.

The debate was sparked by a disagreement over whether Motherwell’s Dan Casey should have been sent off for a challenge which injured Ross McCausland of Rangers last week.

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Ross McCausland was forced off against Motherwell after a clash with Dan CaseyCredit: Willie Vass

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Casey was not punished for the tackle and went on to help the Well win 2-1Credit: SNS

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Michael Stewart clashed with Bobby Madden over whether the challenge deserved a red cardCredit: PA:Press Association

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Madden clashed with Stewart on the radioCredit: Kenny Ramsay

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Madden made the case that the Well defender should have been shown red for the dangerous nature of the tackle.

He said: “I’ve watched this so many times and I’ve jumped between yellow and red.

“Eventually I landed on red for serious foul play because of the pace he entered that challenge.

“Playing the ball’s not an excuse, when you enter a challenge at that pace, for me, it’s endangering the safety.”

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Former Hearts and Hibs man Stewart disagreed though, suggesting that McCausland’s hesitance to go into the tackle resulted in the injury.

He said: “Effectively you’re saying football’s going to be a non-contact sport, what else is Dan Casey meant to do?

“Ross McCausland got injured there for everything you’re told as a player: ‘Don’t dangle a leg, if you dangle a leg you’ll hurt yourself’.

“If you actually take a still of the incident, Ross McCausland’s leg is higher than Dan Casey’s at any point.

“McCausland shouldn’t be punished for that either, he’s apprehensive about the challenge.

“It’s a 70-30 tackle for Dan Casey, there’s nothing else that Casey could do other than what he did.

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“He’s running into a tackle, it’s his natural momentum, he doesn’t speed up, he doesn’t lift his leg, he kicks the ball.”

Madden responded that it was the direction of the foot as opposed to the contact which had convinced him it was a red.

“You see when Casey makes the challenge, the foot, that extension of the sole of his boot, it comes up and for me that’s not a natural movement.

“I know that doesn’t make contact, that would have been an absolute red card.”

Stewart obviously wasn’t in the mood to deal in hypotheticals.

He said: ” So if we deal with what actually happened then…

“His leg makes contact with Ross McCausland, if you’re playing football you have to accept that there’s an element of risk that there’s going to be contact with the opponent.

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“If you want to eliminate risk then that is not a game of football as any of us know it, and I don’t think any of us want to know that.

“That is not a red card in my opinion, I could be persuaded that potentially it’s a foul and maybe a yellow card, but even then I would think it’s a bit harsh because I’m saying to myself, ‘what else can Dan Casey do there?'”

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