Rangers' Never-Ending Blame Game: Crying to the Scottish FA After Every Celtic Defeat

The Butland-Trusty incident: Rangers’ preferred scapegoat in a game they lost fair and square.

The relentless, bitter obsession of Rangers and their rabid supporters blaming external forces whenever they face defeat or even a draw against Celtic is beyond tiresome - it’s downright farcical. Rather than undertaking the hard work of facing legitimate losses on the pitch, Rangers display a petulant, spoiled brat behaviour that has become almost predictable: crying foul, running hastily to the Scottish Football Association, and demanding official explanations for perceived injustices, as if defeat is something that can simply be protested away. This pattern of whining and grievance-mongering is not based on impartial analysis but rather steeped in conspiracy theories alleging biased refereeing and officials “against” Rangers - despite glaring evidence to the contrary, including the undeniable close ties many match officials have to Rangers themselves.

This toxic narrative asserts that whenever Rangers don’t come out on top against Celtic, it’s never the result of being outplayed or simply beaten; it’s always about so-called “Fenians” in the referee room or a bias deliberately aimed at thwarting Rangers’ success. Yet an examination of recent high-profile incidents exposes the hypocrisy of these claims. Take for instance Sunday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final, where Rangers complained bitterly about the Trusty incident with Butland and VAR decisions despite the key officials presiding over the game having documented links to Rangers FC. Nick Walsh, the referee who awarded Rangers a highly controversial penalty against Celtic’s Anthony Ralston, is not some detached figure in Scottish football; he is the Deputy Headteacher at a school with established Rangers connections. This is no abstract accusation - it’s a tangible conflict of interest that Rangers conveniently ignore in their cries of unfair treatment.

Then there is the VAR referee Steven McLean, who endorsed the controversial penalty decision favouring Rangers. McLean’s familial affiliations further muddy the waters: his brother, Brian McLean, is a former Rangers player and McLean himself was a lifelong supporter who was once a Rangers mascot. Such personal overlaps make it difficult to uphold any claim of absolute neutrality. Yet Rangers fans and the club itself continue to loudly assert victimhood, turning a blind eye to these connections while accusing referees of bias when calls don’t go their way.

Assisting in the VAR decision-making process was Andrew Dallas, son of the disgraced former Head of Referees Hugh Dallas. Hugh Dallas’s career has long been tainted by allegations of bearing an anti-Catholic bias - an issue that culminated in his being sacked. His son Andrew Dallas benefited from a fast-tracked refereeing career, a lineage that casts more suspicion on the impartiality of their officiating decisions when it comes to matches involving Rangers.

The irony is unmistakable: Rangers’ compulsive narrative of officiating conspiracies hinges on a portrayal of constant victimisation and injustice. Yet many of the officials in question have clear personal or professional ties to Rangers, making the club’s indignation not only hypocritical but laughable. This is not to say every decision was flawless - football refereeing can be debated endlessly - but the selective outrage from Rangers, their fans, and their media lapdogs betrays a refusal to accept legitimate defeat. Instead, they cling stubbornly to the belief that losses are never earned on the pitch, only manufactured by crooked referees and a prejudiced Scottish FA.

This wider pattern of defending Rangers as the perennial victim when faced with governing body decisions, disciplinary actions, or unfavourable refereeing decisions underpins the overall culture of grievance within the club’s ecosystem. Statements from the Rangers fan groups have accused the SFA of trying to “cripple” the club, often framing regulatory decisions as unfair attacks on Rangers rather than legitimate governance. Such combative rhetoric culminates in protests, boycotts, and generalised antagonism towards the Scottish FA and even Scottish football itself.

Underlying all of this is the dangerous conflation by Rangers and their supporters of legitimate competitive football governance with sectarian and political bias. By repeatedly blaming “Fenians” or anti-Rangers cabals, they perpetuate divisive myths that overshadow the sport and inflame old tensions, rather than promoting sporting spirit and accountability. A club of Rangers’ stature would do well to encourage a culture of responsibility - acknowledging defeat when deserved, respecting referees and officials, and focusing on improving performance on the pitch rather than crying foul and pointing fingers.

In reality, no team, club, or individual is immune from errors, bad luck, or poor refereeing calls. But specious claims that Rangers are never beaten fairly, that every loss is the result of conspiracies or official bias, and that the SFA and referees are engaged in systematic anti-Rangers campaigns have lost credibility in the face of clear evidence showing officials’ close connections to Rangers itself. It is high time Rangers and their followers abandon this childish grievance theatre, face their defeats honestly, and stop diminishing the integrity of Scottish football by constantly undermining the impartiality of its governing bodies.

If Rangers sincerely want respect on and off the pitch, they must grow up, accept when they are beaten, and stop blaming referees - especially when the officials they attack have deep ties to their own club. Until then, their narrative will remain one of a petulant, spoilt brat refusing to take responsibility, eternally crying to the Scottish FA whenever the hard truth of defeat arrives.

Let’s be brutally honest - Rangers and their supporters don’t just take defeat badly, they wage PR campaigns against the referees, the SFA, and anyone but themselves anytime a result doesn’t go their way. Their latest club statement blares: “legitimate concerns about the consistency of refereeing… unsatisfied with the explanation… VAR review not sufficiently robust.” This isn’t just tired, it’s hypocritical.

The Butland and Trusty Incident: Selective Fury

Let’s look at Rangers’ prized evidence of injustice: the “dangerous” collision between Auston Trusty and Jack Butland. Rangers have fixated on this moment, insisting it was worthy of a red card and lambasting referee Nick Walsh and VAR for “inadequate” action. Yet Butland bounced up, not a scratch on him, barely fazed beyond his usual dramatics. Compare that to a game not so long ago when Joe Hart received studs to the head - a bloody, staple-requiring, undeniably dangerous wound - from Steven Fletcher, who escaped with a mere yellow. Where were Rangers’ passionate demands for the “robust application of the Laws of the Game” then? Where were the follow-up club statements calling for referee reform and consistency? Silent as the grave, because Joe Hart was wearing green and white, not blue. After all they are complaining for the good of Scottish Football - not just for Rangers FC.

The Other Half of the Story

Rangers’ statement bemoans how “important matches continue to be influenced by inconsistent and difficult to justify calls.” This is rich coming from a club and fanbase who have benefited for decades from “inconsistent” refereeing that always seemed to tilt their way. Before VAR, the Ibrox side enjoyed almost comic levels of favourable calls. How many penalties were contrived, how many red cards overlooked, while ex-referees now dine out on stories of their “helpful” lodge decisions at after-dinner speaking gigs? Celtic fans remember well: a dodgy penalty here, an ignored second yellow there, Rangers fans roaring approval and never questioning a thing.

Now, with VAR, their past blessings are checked - sometimes not enough, but noticeably more than before. Rangers claim accountability is an agenda against them, crying bias at every VAR alert. In truth, technology just makes it harder for officials to grant them the soft gifts they used to get with impunity.

Failing to Mention Their Own Luck

Let’s remind the Ibrox press office: if the officials had been as “inconsistent” as they complain, Rangers would have ended the first 45 minutes two men down. If red cards were shown truly by the letter of the law, nobody in blue would be moaning about Trusty today because their own ill-discipline would have cut them down. And that penalty call they relied on for their only goal? A piece of fortune VAR should have overturned - a dodgy handball at best, but awarded to Rangers as if the old pre-VAR days hadn’t ended.

When Rangers Are Silent

But when the tables are turned - when an opposition player is seriously hurt, when a soft or non-existent penalty falls to their benefit, when the SFA hands them a favourable call - where are the club statements then? Where is the outrage when, for example, Joe Hart’s head had to be stapled? Nowhere. Not a word, not a tweet, not a murmur about “meaningful progress” or “lasting improvement.” Their outrage is only ever in one direction—always when they don’t win, always when they aren’t the beneficiaries. And yet, they still have the bare faced cheek to claim their complaints are for the betterment of Scottish football.

The Real Problem With the Rangers Mentality

Celtic fans have watched this pattern for years. The club statement’s talk of “livelihoods judged by outcomes on the pitch” is pure melodrama; everyone in Scottish football is subject to refereeing errors - including Celtic. What separates Rangers in these moments is not perseverance or resilience, but an institutional tendency to blame, to divert, and to avoid the sort of accountability they demand from others.

VAR hasn’t ushered in a world of anti-Rangers conspiracies. It’s exposed the club’s inability to accept when decisions don’t fall their way. For clubs used to living on the edge of refereeing subjectivity, this new technology just means the curtain has been pulled back - officials can’t protect you like they used to, even if their hearts would still like to.

A Club Never Defeated Always Cheated

So Rangers will “continue to hold the Scottish FA to account.” They can file their complaints, summon the officials, demand explanations, and whip their supporters into further exasperation. But until Rangers - and their fans - learn to accept that sometimes a defeat is just a defeat, that sometimes you don’t get every call, and that sometimes your players are lucky not to see red, their post-match statements will ring hollow.

It’s easy to scream conspiracy, but it’s a lot harder to look in the mirror and accept reality. The rest of us are waiting - and while we wait, we’ll keep enjoying Celtic’s victories and laughing at Rangers, louder after every defeat and just as empty as ever.