Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes tired of apologies over refereeing decisions

There was another weekend of highly controversial decisions in the Premiership

Author: Gabriel AntoniazziPublished 22nd Mar 2023

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes is "fed up getting apologies" for officiating decisions as he continues to seethe over a penalty call at the weekend.

McInnes was incensed when referee Chris Graham failed to spot an apparent handball by St Johnstone defender Andy Considine inside the penalty area during the 1-1 cinch Premiership draw at Rugby Park

The Killie boss was perplexed that Graham was not called across to review the incident on the pitch side monitor by video assistant referee Mike Roncone.

McInnes has spoken to Scottish FA referees' chief Crawford Allan and when asked why, he told Kilmarnock's YouTube channel: "I think it is incumbent on the club to do that.

"We feel really hard done to and we're paying a lot of money for the technology and to modernise our game.

"I was a big champion of VAR and I think all the managers got behind it because we wanted to help the referees. We want the league to be as modern as possible and we all want to make those improvements.

"I think with the exception of the offside law where you can see categorically there's an improvement on those decisions, there's still the usual debates. It's people's perception of incidents that need to improve.

"But I also feel that from my conversation with the refereeing department on Monday... I don't want apologies. I'm fed up getting apologies.

"I want fairness, I want competence. I want people making the right decisions not just for my team but for everybody. I do feel we were so harshly treated at the weekend and it's not the first time.

"The referee should have spotted, he should see that's a handball. We also feel there's a handball from Liam Gordon in the first half in the six-yard box but the one everybody is talking about is the Considine one.

"That should be seen by all the officials there and not a referee maybe thinking, 'It looks like a penalty but VAR will soon tell me if it is or not'.

"Then you're relying on the capabilities of the guy in the VAR room and we've being so badly let down in that instance.

"It's so important, I'm so angry about it, and I think it's time the refereeing department really upped their game and start justifying why there was this demand and need to have VAR in."

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