VAR...what is it good for? Absolutely nothing, according to John Caw as he kicked off the Hotline.
John emailed: “Why bother? After all it’s the same referees who are still going to see what they want to see. Would it not be better to have experienced former players to sit in VAR and give their opinions? These players must be completely neutral. Rather than taking four or five minutes and multiple lines to make a decision the benefit of the doubt should be given to an attacking side. After all, an eighth of an inch is ludicrous.”
On the same topic, Carl McCoy, Paisley, said: “I note that the SPFL are to discuss the introduction of VAR next week with the view of implementing it after the Qatar World Cup. Is it right though to introduce it midway through a season? Surely all rules and regulations must be in place at the start of the season to ensure, and I despise this phrase, sporting integrity.”
And Eddie Gilhooley reckons that with UEFA facing a dilemma over St Petersburg’s hosting of the Champions League final, our administrators should be making a pitch for it. He said: “Why are the SFA not pushing for the Champions League Final? This would help provide some needed finance for VAR.”
Robert Sheridan emailed: “I really am fed up with the constant moaning about refs. Okay, they are not great but that’s down to governing bodies. As a neutral in the Old Firm debate, it won’t matter which of them win the league because they will say it’s a fix because of biased refs. So why don’t we just give the title to the third placed team and then they can’t claim bias.”
Neil Renton, Edinburgh emailed: “For all the talk about the Scottish Premiership being a two horse race involving the Old Firm, the English top flight isn’t much different. Liverpool and Man City are so far ahead of everyone else it’s embarrassing.”
Robert Livingstone emailed from Palm Beach, Florida, to say: “Bill Lockerbie’s Hotline statement was right on the money when he said how football used to be - when player and referee mistakes were part and parcel of the game and it was played in the traditional way. Sadly it’s no longer the case and I’m sure many old football purists miss that.
John Scott, Grassmoor , emailed: “ Hotline caller Gary Stephenson’s thoughts on Scottish football were rather extreme when he asked for an eight team top league based on average attendances over 5000. Gary’s ideas are blown out the water by a few simple realities.
“The Eliteserien’s Bodo/Glimt have an average gate of 4500 home and away and Norway’s biggest club Rosenborg average 12000. Low gates don’t hold them back.
“It’s all very well dismissing clubs with what Gary regards as irrelevant gates but it’s the Hamiltons and St Johnstones who play and nurture young Scottish talent, given they can’t pay large sums of money to foreigners. Like Bodo/Glimt, St Johnstone have proved low attendances are no barrier to success. A cup double paraded around Perth testifies to that.”
And it wouldn’t be a Hotline without a bit of Old Firm snarling, with all of it coming from the green and white side of the divide.
Gordon Ashley, Ayr, said: “I see Alfredo Morelos is talking about overtaking Henrik Larsson in the Euro scoring charts. I’m sure it won’t be long until he’s turning out for Man Utd and Barcelona and winning European Cup medals and banging them in for Colombia at World Cups. One thing he’ll never equal the king on though is scoring in a real Glasgow derby with fans.”
John Robetson emailed: “I wonder how many Rangers fans are still laughing at Celtic signing Shane Duffy when they have just wasted money on Aaron Ramsey – a worse signing than Joey Barton.”
And Tam Williamson, Lanarkshire, is taking issue with Maurice Ross having a pop at Giorgos Giakoumakis’ comments about Celtic going to win the league.
He said: “Maurice Ross was a mediocre bench warming nonentity when he played for Rangers. If he stood outside Ibrox today no one would recognise him. The little success he has achieved to date is bumping his gums and slagging Celtic at every opportunity.”
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