Rangers have requested a meeting with the Scottish FA as the fallout to their League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic continues.
An Ibrox source has told Sky Sports News the club believes Friday’s Key Match Incident report has validated the concerns they raised with the SFA following the Hampden Park clash.
KMI findings outlined that referee Nick Walsh was incorrect to book Celtic’s Auston Trusty for a kick on goalkeeper Jack Butland’s head – with the decision deemed worthy of a red by a two-to-one majority.
The panel, which said the other major decisions in the clash were correct, added that VAR should have instructed an on-field review to overturn the decision once a yellow was awarded.
Rangers had already met the SFA last Monday but said in a statement they were “unsatisfied” with the explanation received over that incident and the VAR review, with the club adding that “too many important matches continue to be influenced by calls that are inconsistent and difficult to justify”.
Now, it is understood that Rangers believe the KMI findings add to their view that a number of key decisions have lacked consistency.
The KMI panel said Trusty should have seen his yellow card upgraded to a red after a VAR review
A club source also told Sky Sports News that they have “been reviewing officiating trends across multiple campaigns and see the latest incident as part of a broader pattern rather than an isolated mistake”.
It is believed Rangers have called for a meeting with the SFA to present their views directly and to seek clarity on how perceived inconsistencies have emerged.
Club sources have stressed their focus is on improving things, not criticising individual officials, and Rangers are understood to be looking for a constructive conversation about accountability and the consistency expected in Scotland’s top-flight.
Ibrox sources also acknowledged “improved transparency” from the SFA, including the KMI review process, but are hopeful a new meeting would provide “meaningful accountability and visible improvement”.
They added that the club feel this action is “both reasonable and responsible” and want to “work collaboratively” to ensure “concerns are addressed rather than dismissed”.
Sky Sports News has contacted the Scottish FA for comment.
Butland: ‘Difficult to accept decision’ | Trusty: ‘I tapped him’
Both players involved in last Sunday’s flashpoint have spoken out since, with differing versions of events.
While Butland finds it “difficult to accept” as he fears a “precedent” being set, Trusty insists he had no fear of a red card, believing their Old Firm rivals’ reaction is a consequence of losing.
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Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland has opened up on the challenge from Celtic’s Auston Trusty in their League Cup defeat at Hampden Park
“Was there a massive amount of malice involved?”, Butland asked. “Not necessarily. You’d like to think that you’re protected, in a sense, from things like that.
“Seeing it afterwards, it was perhaps later than I thought in real time as well. So, a difficult one to accept.
“Difficult to accept that that’s perhaps a precedent that is going to continue if that’s a similar situation against any team, regardless of who it is.
“Obviously, with the addition of all the assistance that the referees perhaps get nowadays, we can only hope moving forward that the right decisions get made and it stays as fair as it possibly can.”
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Celtic defender Auston Trusty gives his take on his challenge on Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland in their League Cup win, insisting he never feared a red card
Meanwhile, Trusty said: “I tapped him and obviously it wasn’t… I didn’t boot him in the head.
“No one means to boot somebody in the head or kick somebody in the head. I obviously tapped him in the head and that’s all it was.
“I didn’t really think anything much of it. I obviously was apologetic and you’d see my hands to him and say sorry, no matter rivalry or whatever it is, that’s not the kind of human I am.
“I think it’s just Rangers vs Celtic. I think no matter whatever side has a positive result, the other side’s going to say whatever.
“It’s just how football works, you know, in this country and from this rivalry. I don’t think you can really escape that.”
