Scottish referees chief Willie Collum has declared confidence in the VAR process as it heads into its third full season, following a meeting with media, pundits and club representatives on Monday aimed at improving transparency and consistency.
VAR was introduced midway through the 2022/23 campaign, just before the World Cup, and has been a lightning rod for controversy at times. But Collum, who has been in post for just over a year, believes significant progress has been made – both in decision-making and in communication with clubs.
There were a few dodgy decisions in the league last season, but there was a clear decrease from seasons before, and hopefully that downward trend continues into this term.
A key part of Collum’s approach has been transparency, with a weekly Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel reviewing major decisions and a monthly YouTube programme alongside Gordon Duncan offering public explanations and analysis.
“We’re in a good place. We feel on the same page with the clubs as well, which is really, really important and I’m confident,” Collum said to Sky Sports. “We’re pretty much 99 per cent there with the clubs and decisions. The decisions that maybe we’re not on the same page, we’ve listened to our stakeholders, we’ve listened to the clubs, we’ve listened to the coaches.
“I think it’s really, really important to have good relationships with an open door policy to engage with the clubs, with the players. Also, to learn from them.
“We’re really pushing hard the captain-referee approach domestically as well, so we want to see these good relationships on the pitch. I feel we’re in a good place in terms of relationship, but it’s so important because we need to help each other.
“The clubs, the coaches, the players, they need us as well to explain things and we need them to come and support us.”
As the new season approaches, Collum’s hope is that officials, and not their decisions, remain out of the headlines and that the ongoing evolution of VAR can help deliver a more consistent and open process for everyone involved in the Scottish game. It’s what the fans want too, so hopefully we can see that.
