Sport Opinion

Despite the introduction of VAR scrutiny over referees has increased. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Scottish football's 150 days of VAR tedium - and why there's no end in sight

Rangers manager Michael Beale has entered into the debate about the future of Scottish football and suggested everyone "gets in a room" to discuss it.

Every avenue to improve Scottish football has been explored - just stop it

Hibs fans belt out "Sunshine on Leith" in memory of Ron Gordon.

Sunshine on Leith is greatest anthem but I don't want to hear it every game

Finn Russell has been in inspired form for Scotland during the Six Nations.

Barring a stinker against Ireland, Finn Russell is surely the 6N's top player

Motty wasn't sheepish about what he didn't like in the modern game

Why is a national final of the national sport not viewable by the nation?

'S e Kara Hanlon tè dhe na snàmhadairean as fheàrr ann an Alba.

Tha leasan cudromach anns na Geamaichean Eileanach

Rangers were not impressed by the condition of the McDiarmid Park pitch last month.

Aidan Smith: Why Michael Beale tripped over a divot

Morelos celebrates scoring at Tynecastle in typical Alfredo fashion - with a typical response from the home stands.

Aidan Smith: McCann has called out Morelos but did something similar

Scotland line up to sign Flower of Scotland at a recent rugby match at BT Murrayfield.

Flower of Scotland tingles the spine and unpicks the lining of your Barbour

Andy Murray's powers of retrieval were displayed once again at the Australian Open.

Sorry Pele, but Andy Murray's just trumped you for greatest sporting moment

Those grizzled gunslingers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are out of the World Cup after the greatest group-stage finishes in the history of the tournament

The World Cup is reclaiming every bit of time-wasting. Let's do it here

Scotland's Lyndon Dykes heads at goal during a Uefa Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland (Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

SFA should be applauded for restrictions on heading the ball – Scotsman comment

Fans of Freiburg in Germany made clear their feelings about the Qatar World Cup earlier this year (Picture: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Greed, abuses and corruption make this World Cup the beautiful game’s nadir

England's Harry Kane wears the OneLove rainbow armband during a Uefa Nations League match against Italy in September (Picture: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Why victory at the Qatar World Cup will be a hollow one – Laura Waddell

Iran's players stayed noticeably silent as their national anthem was played ahead of the World Cup game against England (Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Fifa's ban on OneLove armband means it's acting like Qatari 'morality police'

Prince William, Prince of Wales during a visit to England's national football centre at St George's Park.

It's a PR clanger what Wills - Prince of Wales - didn't see off the Welsh team

Pele is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after Brazil's 4-1 victory in the 1970 World Cup final against Italy (Picture: AP photo, file)

Pelé's beautiful game can still be found in Scotland – Scotsman comment

The specially built Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, will host several World Cup matches (Picture: Qatar 2022/Supreme Committee via Getty Images)

Fifa is wrong. There were many 'better' nations than Qatar to host World Cup

Qatar thinks homosexuality is abnormal - abnormal is the place hosting World Cup

Silent Support Weekend is deemed necessary because last year 390 parents in England were banned from touchlines. (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)

Silent Support Weekend: FA wokery or a necessary move to ensure parents behave?

Gregor Townsend and Finn Russell repaired their relationship during lockdown but the fly-half has been dropped from Scotland's autumn squad. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Townsend’s Scotland Test career ended at 30 - will Russell’s go the same way?

The VAR nerve centre which will settle all Scottish football disputes from this Friday (aye right).

VAR: Brace yourself for moments of ecstasy hit by coitus interruptus

Referees receive VAR training at Hampden Park (Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS)

The end of refereeing controversies? Aye right – Scotsman comment

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson lifts the Premier League trophy at Old Trafford in May 2013 (Picture: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

How the beautiful game has changed the English language – Susie Dent

Jim Goodwin and Ryan Porteous shake hands, just before the Aberdeen manager called the Hibs player a cheat and landed himself in big trouble.

Ban-gate: 'Everyone’s at it. There’s concerted, relentless cheating in games'

19/12/99 SPL
HEARTS v HIBERNIAN (0-3)
TYNECASTLE - EDINBURGH
Franck Sauzee celebrates alongside Hibernian team-mate John Hughes.

Franck Sauzee at Hibs: "Like a ballet dancer - one who loved crunching tackles"

Under Steve Clarke's leadership, Scotland are getting results (Picture: Rafal Oleksiewicz/PA)

Clarke's Scotland team demonstrates the benefits of good leadership – Scotsman

Ryan Porteous doesn't need to be hooded-up to fulfill the role of Scottish football's bogeyman.

Goodwin used to be Scottish football's public enemy No 1 and now it's Porteous

Kenny Dalglish introduces Queen Elizabeth II to members of the Glasgow Select XI before the match against a Football League XI at Hampden Park. The match was in aid of the Silver Jubilee Appeal.

Scottish fans can't be trusted, Tynecastle proved that, so the football's off

Scott Arfield and John Lundstram celebrate Rangers return to the Champions League.

We wait with intrigue to see what Angeball looks like in a Euro context

Graeme Souness with some other men at a men's game, just before getting down to analysing the finer points of men's football.

Souness made a specific judgement about the men's game because he loves tackling

Giovanni van Bronckhorst. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

Why Rangers need games between UCL ties rather than following PSV move plans

Ticket issues have been raised by fans this season already. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Scottish football has reached tipping point with treatment of fans

Fans at Aylesbury United WFC celebrate England's victory in the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 final (Picture: Steve Parson/PA)

Lionesses can inspire Scotland's women to footballing glory – Scotsman comment

Tom Daley carries the Queen’s Baton during the Opening Ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham (Picture: Elsa/Getty Images)

Commonwealth Games is proving sport and politics do mix – Christine Jardine MP

Alessia Russo celebrates her wonder goal for the Lionesses in the Euros semi-final.

Women’s football: The Lionesses’ brilliant backheeled goal was their Panenka

England's Ellen White celebrates their side's win over Sweden in the semi-final match in Sheffield (Picture: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

Anyone but England? Now it's Come on England as Lionesses win over Scots

A water-skier tales part in the Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games (Picture: Nick England/Getty Images for Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay)

Commonwealth Games has created global ties of friendship out of sins on Empire

Cricketer Qasim Sheikh speaks at a press conference as an independent review found numerous examples of 'institutional racism' in the Scottish game (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

Cricket Scotland's institutional racism is a wake-up call for us all

The Rocky road for Bushiri at Hibs continued with the player being fielded in the Premier Sports Cup despite being banned, ending the club's involvement in the competition

50 years on from Turnbull's Tornadoes they've really Hibsed it this time

Jake Wightman wins gold for Britain in the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships. (Picture: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Wightman's world gold medal is not just a family affair – Scotsman comment

Tha an t-seann chluicheadair criogaid Freddie Flintoff a’ feuchainn ri òigridh a thàladh chun gheama (Dealbh: BBC)

Chan eil sinn idir ag aithneachadh a’ bhuannachd ann an spòrs

Richard Moore, the revered cyclist, writer and podcaster, who passed away in March at the age of 48. Pic: Simon Gill/The Cycling Podcast

Richard Moore: The Tour de France has a Buffalo-shaped hole in it

The Commonwealth outfits have been revealed

Well-dressed sporting stars who are already heroes – Scotsman comment

"Enjoy your summer," football fans say to each other. Really, what they mean is: "When are the new fixtures out?"

Have you spotted the black hole in the fixtures? Fans will go off their heads

Police spray tear gas at Liverpool fans outside the stadium ahead of the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid (Picture: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Why football needs a democratic revolution – Scotsman comment

Scotland captain Barry Ferguson rides a challenge the last time we played Ukraine in 2007. A far greater one faces un on Wednesday

Scotland v Ukraine: The eyes of the world are on us and they all want us to lose

Lee Johnson waves the scarf but there weren't too many ither first-day cliches when he took over at Hibs

Aidan Smith on new Hibs manager Lee Johnson

Rangers' James Tavernier celebrates victory over RB Leipzig in the Europa League semi-final, second leg match at Ibrox (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA)

Scotland's footballing renaissance is getting exciting – Scotsman says

Rangers fans get in the mood for Seville, a lovely city which may not know what's about to hit it

Rangers in Seville: Should we all support them in Europa League final?

Rangers fans are arriving in Seville in huge numbers ahead of the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt (Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

The stars may have aligned for Rangers in Seville – Murdo Fraser MSP

The press box during a pre-season friendly match between Celtic and Hibernian back in July 2020.

Moira Gordon: I'm angry people have tarred all football writers with same brush

1980s BBC sitcom A Very Peculiar Practice followed the exploits of the eccentric staff of a modern university’s health centre

Satirical sexism from classic 1980s comedy still hits a nerve – Laura Waddell

Defences up ... Finn Russell has responded to criticisms about his performances - and his physique

Six-pack or Six Nations? We didn't fail because Russell appeared slightly chunky

With a winning header David Gray smashes through the Rangers defence - and the concept of 60-minute games.

Rugby, golf and cricket have all needed quickening - but football doesn't

Unsuspecting wingers can find themselves soaked by a freak wave from the North Sea at Arbroath FC's Gayfield Park (Picture: Laurence Reade)

Fisher, Forties, Gayfield… the forecast is good for Arbroath FC’s seaside gem

Richard Moore (left) with close friend Alan Pattullo, Scotsman sports writer.

Richard Moore was my greatest champion, my world has collapsed - Alan Pattullo

Scotland will face England in Group B if they qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. (Photo by FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP via Getty Images)

Scotland's World Cup draw comes with a caveat - but I just can't help myself

Football has become a political football again with Boris suggesting Ukraine sould be given a World Cup bye

Waving Ukraine all the way to Qatar would be some gesture

Former Rangers chairman Dave King (centre) with managing director Stewart Robertson (left) and current chairman Douglas Park (right) at the club's annual general meeting in November 2017. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group).

Rangers civil war is last thing van Bronckhorst needs right now

Stuart Hogg's captaincy is under threat and the pressure is increasing on Gregor Townsend. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Triple Crown stats are grim for Scotland side who swapped optimism for rancour

The Doc tips his makeshift hat - the FA Cup final lid - to his exciting Manchester United team after their 1977 Wembley triumph.

Man U fans must be thinking wistfully of the Doc - and missing David Moyes

The Scotsman Top Stories

SNP candidate Ash Regan. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

SNP considering allowing members to change vote amid leadership transparency row

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Picture: PA

SNP is not in a mess, insists Nicola Sturgeon

A Somali woman and child wait to be given a spot to settle at a camp for displaced people on the outskirts of Dollow in Somalia during the longest drought in the country's history, estimated to have killed 43,000 people

Climate change: IPCC report is ‘survival guide for humanity’