Dundee United have withdrawn from the Scottish FA’s KMI (Key Match Incident) panel and called for reform around the use of VAR, citing concerns over “inconsistent interpretations of the laws of the game”.
The Tangerines have been left puzzled by a number of decisions – and how they have subsequently been scrutinised – this season.
But after Marley Watkins’ winning goal for Kilmarnock was allowed to stand at the weekend, despite footage appearing to show the attacker impeding United keeper Jack Walton with an arm to the face, the Tannadice club have been moved to act.
Referee David Dickinson saw nothing wrong with the challenge in real time and VAR Greg Aitken made the decision not to refer the on-field official to the monitor for a second look, much to the disbelief of Terrors boss Jim Goodwin.
Former English Premier League official Dermot Gallagher declared the decision a mistake on his Sky Sports Ref Watch TV segment on Tuesday afternoon.
And United believe it is the latest in a string of inconsistent and contradictory decisions involving the club, prompting them to make a stand.
A club statement read: “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.
‘More robust process’
“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.”
Ironically, the KMI panel suggests that United have benefitted from VAR errors more than any other side in the Premiership – based purely on its own verdicts.
The five-person panel consists of three independent members with careers within Scottish football (coaches, former players or media figures), one representative from the SFA and one from SPFL clubs.
The individuals rotate week-to-week – and an expert knowledge of the rule book is not a prerequisite to sit in judgement of potentially challenging calls.
Courier Sport exclusively revealed last month that talks were held with SFA head of refereeing Willie Collum regarding the efficacy and merits of the scheme.
United’s withdrawal from the process will now come as a blow to the governing body.
The Terrors are the second club this week to hit out at the standard of officiating in Scotland, with St Mirren left fuming over the denial of a seemingly obvious penalty kick when Elvis Bwomono was felled by St Johnstone’s Drey Wright on Saturday.
The Buddies confirmed that they have written to the SFA to seek clarification regarding “this and other decisions”, while citing “an accumulation of errors made against St Mirren.”
Another decision which irked United came against the Paisley outfit on January 11, when Toyosi Olusanya was awarded a contentious penalty kick following a challenge by Kevin Holt.
United’s statement continued: “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.”
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