Dundee Utd rocked Project VAR to its foundations last night. Celtic must join their cause.

Last night, we watched the latest strange VAR moment involving our club, and it concerned Idah’s second goal. The penalty call was straightforward—an obvious penalty with no debate. But I am completely baffled—baffled—as to what the VAR team thought they were looking at when it came to his goal. It was a perfectly executed strike, and there wasn’t the slightest question of an offside.

Yet that’s what they were allegedly checking—a possible offside. Where? Where exactly were they looking for it? Because I didn’t see anything remotely resembling one.

And this isn’t just a sidebar story. It’s a major issue because VAR in this country has serious problems, not just with the technology but with the people operating it. And not just them, as was highlighted by a piece of news that broke before our game last night—Dundee United pulled out of the SPFL’s VAR review panel and not only that, they released an excoriating statement about why.

Now, it’s not thought that this decision will have any real force or effect, not yet. It’s essentially a protest. But it’s a massive protest, a high-profile one, and it could be the first brick to fall out of the wall.

In fact, it should be. They have made a rallying call. Clubs should be willing to answer it. Celtic really ought to be one of them.

Dundee United sat on the Key Match Incidents (KMI) Review Panel—the one we’ve often talked about on this site. The panel supposedly consists of “clubs, ex-players, and journalists.” And do you know why they pulled out? A lack of expertise among some of the other people on it. That’s something we’ve raised concerns about many times before right here on this blog.

Who exactly are these people? Those sitting in judgment on key decisions? Have we ever been given a list? Haven’t we wondered whether some of them are even remotely qualified? Whether they have the faintest idea what they’re talking about?

Whether they bring their own agendas to the table? Many of them don’t seem to understand the rules of the game, and some appear to have a very convenient Ibrox-centric interpretation of what those rules should be.

It’s worth looking at Dundee United’s statement in full because it is absolutely incredible. It doesn’t name names, but it damns them all the same. And every concern we’ve raised on this site is echoed in some form or another.

“Dundee United FC has today formally notified the Scottish FA of our decision to withdraw our representation from the KMI panel.

This decision follows extensive discussions throughout the season with the Scottish FA Refereeing Department, where we raised concerns regarding the panel’s purpose, effectiveness, and impact on Scottish football. We believe the panel’s outcomes have been inconsistent with feedback provided by the Scottish FA.

There have been instances where on-field decisions, supported by VAR and endorsed by the Scottish FA Refereeing Department, were contradicted by the KMI panel. In many cases, these disagreements appear to be based on the opinions of panel members who, for the most part, lack significant expertise in the laws of the game.

Subsequent outcomes have been magnified by external media misrepresentations, placing undue pressure on our match officials and potentially influencing decisions in future matches. We believe changes should be made to the KMI panel or an alternative, more robust process should be used for reviewing refereeing decisions if deemed a requirement.

Additionally, we have expressed our concerns to the Scottish FA regarding the inconsistent interpretations of the laws of the game arising from VAR. This inconsistency has, at various times, caused other William Hill Premiership clubs to express their frustration at the use of VAR, and while we are fully aware of our desire to ensure Dundee United at all times are given fair representation, we also wish to improve the overall game in Scottish football and encourage all parties to collaborate on making improvements.

We further acknowledge that decisions will sometimes go against us—that is an inherent part of football. We also accept that referees, like everyone else, will make mistakes, and we respect the authority of match officials to make decisions, even when they may be contentious. However, as a club, we believe that the introduction of VAR has highlighted inconsistency in decision-making. As a result, scrutiny has been enhanced and refereeing decisions have become a more prominent public issue.

Dundee United FC will always prioritise the interests of our club, but we will also be reaching out to the Scottish FA and the SPFL, encouraging all Premiership clubs to come together. We are seeking ways to support our officials and improve both the VAR protocol and any subsequent review panel, with a view to enhancing Scottish football for the benefit of its member clubs.”

That statement is comprehensive and damning. And it cannot be ignored. Their club has asked to be removed from the rotation. Other clubs are almost certain to follow because they also have concerns. We should consider our position. I wouldn’t be surprised if the club across the city does too, seeing in this an opportunity to create chaos—which is what they thrive on.

But whatever happens next, it’s obvious that clubs do not trust this process. Dundee United have their own reasons.

And they are absolutely right to question how we ended up in a situation where some of these panel decisions make no sense. This blog has highlighted at least two cases involving our club that seem entirely inconsistent with the rules. There have been instances where votes on the panel have gone against blatantly correct decisions or in favour of ones that are objectively wrong. We’ve covered this again and again.

Furthermore, they are correct to call out the way the media covers these decisions. It is flat-out wrong. I’ve seen journalists put interpretations on rulings that are wholly inconsistent with the actual decisions.

Let’s be clear—if a decision goes for or against a club on a 3-2 vote, that is not a ringing endorsement of the ruling, no matter how much the media tries to spin it as one. It is not a rejection of the on-field official’s call, no matter how much the media wants to make it seem that way. That’s a one vote victory deciding an issue, and for all we know, that vote could have been cast for reasons entirely unrelated to the rulebook. I’ve seen several decisions which there were votes which insulted the intelligence of everyone who watched the incidents in question … so what motivated them?

Now, I believe the system itself is a good one.

I think Willie Collum is trying to put something in place that could work, and I commend him for the effort. But let’s be blunt—this review panel is a joke. Its structure is nonsense, and we can never be sure whether the votes cast are based on genuine analysis or personal bias.

On top of that, you only have to read the average Scottish sportswriter’s column to see that many of these people don’t know what they’re talking about. You only have to listen to ex-players waffling about “common sense” decisions to know that they have no business being involved in a process that requires strict interpretation of the rules.

Dundee United, at least, seem to agree.

And while I think Collum’s intentions are sound, the way this system is being implemented is flawed and needs urgent reform. The fact that clubs are now speaking up about it gives me hope that change might yet come. I would hope that Celtic join them. That way we have a good chance of getting there.

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