VAR will be in operation at just two of the four Scottish Cup ties involving host Premiership clubs this weekend after Dundee United and Livingston failed to stump up the cash for the technology.
Celtic and holders Rangers will both have VAR at their respective last-16 ties against St Mirren and Partick Thistle. However, it will not be operational at any of the other six fixtures taking place. The technical infrastructure isn’t in place at lower league grounds and the cost is prohibitive to install it for a one-off tie.
It IS in place at both Tannadice – where the Tangerines take on Kilmarnock in an all-Premiership clash – and the Tony
Macaroni Arena where Livi take on Inverness. But the clubs involved have opted against using VAR for those fixtures with the cost around £10,000 which it is left to the clubs to agree on how to foot that bill. VAR was introduced in October with the £1million-plus fee per season shared around the clubs to cover Premiership matches. The SFA cover the costs of the technology for Viaplay Cup and Scottish Cup semi-finals and final at Hampden.
But in earlier rounds of the cup competitions it is not mandatory and Premiership clubs have the option of paying to use it, unless the tie has been selected for live TV coverage in which case it will be in operation.
United boss Liam Fox was raging with a VAR red card call that saw Ryan Edwards sent off against Hearts at the weekend.
And Saturday’s opponents Kilmarnock were also fuming after Derek McInnes hit out at the fact officials didn’t send referee Willie Collum to the monitor to check a potential penalty in their Viaplay Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic last month.
READ NEXT:
