SFA VAR manager 'all for' referee stadium explanations

The National

21 hours ago

That's why the Scottish FA promptly secured the services of experienced former English Premier League referee Martin Atkinson at the end of last year.
Drafted in as VAR manager, the 54-year-old brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the upper echelons of Hampden Park. "Since I've been up here, I do not think the guys can be any more professional than what they are at the moment in time," said Atkinson when asked if Scottish refs could ever go full-time.
"I'm so impressed. The guys that we work with are so professional and thorough in what they do - the preparation, the fitness.
"We talk about the fitness test, the level being raised this season. They couldn't be any more professional than they are. I'm really impressed with them. There's always a lot of talk about referees becoming professional, but no way, because the money isn't there.
"I don't think there's anything to suggest that being professional or where we are at the moment makes a difference. We're human beings. The guys are human beings. No matter who you are, no matter how many hours of training you do, you will still make mistakes when you're in there.
"It's human nature. It's the nature of the game. You can practice something so many times and still get it wrong. It doesn't matter who you are. Where we're at, I'm happy with."
Although the John Beatons and Kevin Clancys of the world might never get to give up their day jobs to take charge of football matches, they are constantly introduced to new rules, technologies, and innovations. Down south, in-game stadium VAR announcements by referees have been trialled. This allows them to explain their decisions publicly to the spectators in the stands.
Atkinson would be in favour of such an addition to Scottish football. "I'm a football fan myself," he continued. "All referees are football fans. You wouldn't do this job if you didn't love being involved in it and being part of the game. I think the communication side is something that we certainly embrace. I think it's something that we talk about. Again, this is not just the referees want this and that's it.
Read more:
"I think we're quite open to doing anything that will enhance us in stadiums. It's certainly not written off by us at all. We'd certainly be looking to implement it as soon as the clubs are ready, as soon as we get the green light to say, yes, the clubs want it, the clubs support it. We'd be all for that.
"I think any country is allowed to do it when they're ready to do it. If the clubs say, 'We're ready to go, we've got the infrastructure and the money and everything that goes with it to roll it out', then we would certainly support that and encourage it. I've obviously seen it with the guys down south. I did quite a bit of work with them, training to do that for last season. We're in place and ready to train the referees if we get the green light, if the clubs say they want this."
One thing increased in-game communications will never take away from football is contention. Regardless of modern technological advancements such as VAR and the like, weekly debates remain. Handball is a key area of dispute. "I think we're in a good place with handball in Scotland," says Atkinson.
"I say that looking as an outsider for many years and then to see the difference last season. Certainly, all the feedback from everybody in the game feels like we're in a good place with handball, and that comes as well from clubs.
"With the British game, we are always going to be slightly different, and I think everybody accepts that. That's the way that the game is, and we're always going to have that slight difference, which is what we expect. We've all been brought up on that."
Having taken charge of multiple cup finals south of the border, as well as the 2015 Europa League final, Atkinson knows the costly price of making poor decisions. In his day, VAR didn't exist. Now, it helps referees correct their mistakes. Regardless of public perceptions and numerous criticisms, it is seemingly here to stay.
"I think it's always going to be a discussion," admits Atkinson. "Some people like it. I fully get that. Some people are against it. That's football. It will always split opinion, won't it? We talk about football in the old days. We talk about football now, modern football. We're always going to get that debate about it. I go back to when I was a referee.
"On the field, you make a mistake. It's a clear mistake that influences a result. You drive home. You watch whatever television programme is on that evening, the following day, whatever is written in the media, whatever follows, and it continues for so long.
"There's no worse feeling as a match referee than knowing that you've made that mistake. Now, the guys don't go out to make mistakes. There's no reason for them to want to be perfect when they're out there. We make mistakes. If we make that mistake and we have a chance, an opportunity to make that right, then that's got to be good for the game. It's got to be good for the integrity of the game.
"It's got to be the way forward. I do think that it has improved the game. I really wish it were there in many situations in my career where I've driven home and I've just thought, why didn't I give that penalty? Why did I give that penalty when I should have done that? It's there for that reason.
"But the big decisions, we'll still always have subjective decisions that split a room. We'll always have decisions that split a room. We always get that. That's just football.
"I think when you look at UEFA in general, 46 out of 53 nations have got it [VAR]. So that speaks for itself straight away. And the other countries, you may well get an odd outlying country that is like, 'We don't want it'.
"But again, I'd just reiterate that if the referee gives a penalty when a ball hits a player in the face, it changes the whole game. We seem to forget about these big, big decisions that have influenced games and results over a number of years. Personally, I know they haunt me. Decisions that I've made over the years. I could tell you all the mistakes."
Atkinson himself refereed at the 2012 European Championships. Nick Walsh, one of the SFA's flagship whistlers, spent time at the under-21 version of the tournament this summer. "I think that's fantastic for Scottish match officials and for Scottish football, I think it's brilliant that they went there," said a proud Atkinson.
"They stayed at the tournament; they refereed in the semi-finals of a major tournament. It's brilliant for us. We can't do anything about the past. We can't change that now. We can't change what history has been. We can change the future of what's coming next.
"The targets are always the next competitions, the next tournaments that are coming. It's got to be. We've got to be doing that. That's what we thrive on. Certainly, for myself and Willie [Collum] and the team, it is identifying that and supporting that talent as well, supporting these guys to get there.
"I reiterate the success of Nick in the summer. Nick and his team were all really proud of that. We should shout about that as well. To get a semi-final in a major tournament is something to be proud of."
Walsh, his team, and countless other match officials in Scotland are used to their decisions being scrutinised every week throughout the season. Indeed, Atkinson thinks refs north of the border are lambasted much more than their English counterparts.
"It is pretty high pressure in England, but we get the feeling that here it's even more intense and even more critical on referees," he said.
'It's certainly on a par with what it is down in England. Definitely the expectation, but I think you'll find that in just about every country as well. I think each country is so passionate. It's like that. The expectations are there.
"I must say, since I've been up here, I'm really impressed with how the guys, how the match officials have taken on board a lot of the stuff. I come up bringing experience from the Premier League and implementing it here with these guys. They have really taken on board a lot of it.
"I think you'll find that from certainly the communication side of it, the way that the guys speak on the field of play. You can listen to things from the start of the season to where we are at the end of the season. The comms are far better.
"I'm delighted with that. I'm really pleased with that. I think we can continue to do that. I think we can still get better at it. But pressure-wise, that's part of the game. We all want more all the time. Every season, we want more. We want the guys to get better. Teams want to get better. We want the match officials to be better. That's football. That's the nature of it."