Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack called for Willie Collum to be demoted after missing a foul in the build-up to the Celtic goal on Sunday.
Talking in the Daily Record he said, “I think that’s what should happen. If you’re making mistakes time and time again why should you be refereeing top games?”
However, on his personal Twitter page, Chris Sutton joked that Collum could call for Jack to be demoted “after being anonymous for most of the game on Saturday” and Celtic fans flocked onto Twitter to react.
Willie Collum could call for Ryan Jack to be demoted after being anonymous for most of the game on Sunday…. https://t.co/XWbYYsS2BW
— Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) September 3, 2018
Many Celtic fans wanted to point out all the decisions that didn’t go their way, such as Allan McGregor’s kick out at Kristoffer Ajer or the penalty decision they felt they should have had in the first-half.
Others think that Jack should face charges for bringing the game into disrepute.
Here are the best reactions from Celtic fans:
Jack, like his manager should be hauled up before the @SFA for bringing the game into disrepute. If they were at any other club, they would be.
— rageyblinker (@gettaffemacloud) September 3, 2018
Is he calling for McGreggor to be punished for his kick at Ayer or Lafferty stamp on Lustig missed by Collum? Didn't think so.
— They did! Sevco Next (@LetRangersDie) September 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/wynnvegas/status/1036796197048999943
If you tell a lie often enough it becomes your truth, well once again from the top to the bottom of “The Big Hoose” they are peddling their lies hoping the real truth will fade away and everyone will do their bidding. Do you think they do classes on how to lie at Sevco HQ???
— JEMS11 (@5Jems11) September 4, 2018
The biggest injustice in the game was not the Rogic & Jack coming together it was McGregor's kick on Ajer. Which Collum seen but chose to do nothing. Traynor has Gerrard & his flops well trained in flogging this paranoia that Scottish football is against them. It's laughable.
— John Francis ??? (@JohnFMckeown) September 4, 2018
Did Scott Brown give Jack permission to speak?
— Mick Gardner (@mickg84) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/ea4962adf797445/status/1036764567748177920
https://twitter.com/Faldo31/status/1036874780513853440
OPINION
Joking aside, referees should be held accountable for their actions – and in extreme cases they are. There is a bigger debate to be had here about the quality of Scottish referees, after a string of poor decisions have been made in big games. However, at the same time there has to be an acknowledgement that it’s a tough and often thankless job. Sutton is right to throw it back at Jack here – if refs should be demoted for bad performances, what about players? A better solution is to bring in VAR as soon as possible. Why rely on humans to get things right when there’s a much smaller margin for error when VAR is employed? The World Cup showed that while not perfect, VAR is a huge step forward for football. However, taking the Jack incident, it’s still debatable whether the goal would have been disallowed even if the incident had been reviewed. Some people – mostly Rangers supporters – are adamant that it was a foul. But it wasn’t clearcut at all. Others reviewing it could easily have said it wasn’t a clear mistake and that the goal should stand. Either way we think that VAR should be introduced across the board as soon as possible, taking the pressure off the refs and ensuring that more decisions are correct. We want games to be decided by footballers not be referees.