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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Robbie Copeland

Barry Ferguson in VAR U-turn as Rangers hero reveals the Aston Villa incident that proved him wrong

Alloa manager Barry Ferguson admits he was wrong to be sceptical about VAR in Scottish football.

And the Rangers hero admits it's now time for Scottish football to front up and pay for the technology.

VAR has split opinion in the UK since its introduction in the English Premier League but some recent incidents in the Scottish Premiership have underlined the need to help referees out.

Kyogo Furuhashi 's controversial goal for Celtic against Hearts sparked fury while the decision not to send off Callum Butcher for a crunching tackle on David Turnbull was universally panned.

There have been concerns that VAR slows football down but one incident in Leicester's defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday proved this isn't always the case.

Whistler Michael Oliver initially awarded Aston Villa a goal before consulting the VAR, where he ruled for a foul on Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel and chalked the goal off.

The incident was over and done with in a minute and Ferguson, speaking on Go Radio, says that's all the evidence he needs.

He said: "I watched the Aston Villa game yesterday, where there was the incident with Kasper Schmeichel.

"That was done and dusted within a minute or so. Previous to that, it may have taken three or four minutes.

"But the referee decided to go over to the screen and made the call. That was it, over and done with.

"We need to get it in as quickly as possible up here. I wasn't too sure at the start, but the more I'm thinking about it, with some of the things that are happening in our game, we need to get it in quickly.

"It's going to come down to finance. Does Scottish football have the money to do it?

"We need to get it in somehow."

He also admitted he feels sorry for referees who are being scrutinised for split-second decisions by fans and pundits who have the benefit of countless replays.

And Record Sport columnist Ferguson stressed that they need help.

"I feel sorry for referees. They have a split-second to make decisions.

"It's OK for us watching it with replays. They need help and they need it quickly."

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