Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has publicly challenged the Scottish Football Association (SFA), stating that recent refereeing decisions — particularly in a high-stakes match against Celtic — have undermined the integrity of the game. He insists that action is now needed to restore trust and improve officiating consistency.
Speaking on Rangers TV, Thelwell expressed deep frustration over a controversial incident in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, where Celtic’s Auston Trusty appeared to catch goalkeeper Jack Butland in the head with his boot. Instead of a red card, Trusty was only shown a yellow — a decision Thelwell strongly disagrees with.
“It’s clear from our side that that is a red card … Striking somebody on the head is nothing short of a red card,” he said. He added that by failing to sanction the incident more severely, the SFA risks setting a “dangerous precedent.”
Rangers have already held a meeting with the SFA following the match, but Thelwell says the club remains unsatisfied with the explanations given. According to him, the application of the Laws of the Game and the VAR review process were not handled with sufficient rigor.
In response, the club has conducted its own in-depth analysis of refereeing across a wider period — not limited to the contentious Celtic tie — which it now plans to present to the SFA. Thelwell makes three core demands: greater consistency, higher quality, and an elevated standard of officiating.
“But for one reason, and one reason only,” Thelwell insisted, “we want the focus to be on the football — not on the decisions.”
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