Willie Collum leaps to defence of VAR over Rangers ‘ghost goal' vs Hibs but admits ‘there's a good chance it DID go in'

Scottish Sun

6 days ago

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THE Scottish Premiership season is over, but one incident from the final day is still being discussed.
And now SFA Head of Referees Willie Collum has run the rule over the controversial moment.
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Nico Raskin thought he'd doubled Rangers' lead in their final match against Hibs
Credit: SNS
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The ball appeared to cross the line but Nick Walsh waved play on and VAR confirmed the decision
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SFA Head of Referees Willie Collum has had his say on the incident
Rangers thought they'd doubled their advantage against Hibs when Nicolas Raskin appeared to bundle the ball over the line, only for referee Nick Walsh to wave play on.
It proved a highly controversial incident, and now the SFA's VAR Review show has covered the decision, with host Gordon Duncan asking Collum for his defence of the call.
Collum said: "Let's go back to two incidents this season first - Hibs vs Celtic, possible ball over the line, and Dundee United vs Hibs, possible handball before it goes into the goal.
"We were criticised for both of those decisions, and rightly so, because ultimately, there was no conclusive evidence.
"I know people who would look at this decision and say 'that camera angle, for me, is conclusive.'
"But the reality is, that camera angle is at an angle looking in the way, there's nothing directly in line there.
"I've quoted before, in a World Cup match, there was a similar angle shown in a Japan game [against Spain in 2022] where, if you'd used that angle, you would say the ball was over the line.
"Then when you line it up directly in line, it only needs a slight part of the ball to be touching that line.
"Can the VAR and the AVAR there categorically, 100%, say the ball was over the line? Not for us.
"Do I think it crossed the line? I think there's a good chance it did.
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"But can I be absolutely certain of that? No.
"What doesn't help in this scenario is that the ball isn't on the ground.
"I think you could make a call here if the ball was on the ground, well over, there was loads of grass between it.
"In terms of that camera angle, in terms of the ball being mid-air, can we be 100%? We don't think we can be.
"We've been criticised previously, we've now moved to say we'll only give a decision like that if we've got 100% conclusive evidence, so the VAR and AVAR are correct to say there that they don't have that evidence."
Duncan replied: "I think a lot of people will say 'if that's not conclusive, then will you ever truly get conclusive evidence?'
"I feel like everyone thinks that's over the line.
"So if that isn't conclusive then I'm looking for something that's very unlikely to ever be there."
Collum admitted: "If you have a goal-line camera, you've got a very good chance of catching it.
"I think we could have come to a decision clearly if it's looking right down the barrel of the goal-line.
"One thing that would make this clear is goal-line technology, it takes the human element away because the watch reacts or doesn't react and then it's absolutely categorical."
Duncan asked: "On goal-line technology, I assume it goes without saying that you would welcome that if clubs were willing to pay and make your life easier?"
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Collum said: "No question, because what would happen is it would remove any doubt.
"It would be categorical, but where it won't help you is for a ball in and out of play on the goal-line.
"We discussed it, and I think the clubs and everybody in Scottish football would welcome it, it is in play in the semi-finals and the final of the League Cup and Scottish Cup as we use it at the national stadium.
"I don't think anybody wouldn't welcome it, but it's a cost implication, you balance the cost with how many times in a competition in a season do you need it.
"Maybe even just one decision could be crucial in deciding which way the championship goes, who gets into a European place, who's relegated, who ends up in a play-off.
"So maybe even for the cost implication, when the stakes are so high, it would be better to have it than not to have it.
"We would definitely welcome it, and we would certainly welcome if it was possible in each match to have goal-line cameras."
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