Rangers cruised to a 4-0 win over St Johnstone at Ibrox on Saturday, but the talking point afterwards had little to do with the scoreline. Former referees Bobby Madden and Mark Clattenburg are adamant that winger Kai Fotheringham should not have been sent off, after a second-half tackle on Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin. [glasgowworld](https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/rangers/ex-referees-slam-bonkers-var-in-rangers-vs-st-johnstone-as-decision-highlights-problem-with-modern-officiating-9309672)

The incident came on a wet, windy afternoon. Referee Chris Graham first gave a yellow card, but after VAR official Andrew Dallas sent him to the monitor, the card was upgraded to a red for serious foul play. Fotheringham appeared to win the ball before his studs caught Raskin in the follow-through, and the Perth side’s players protested vigorously. [glasgowworld](https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/rangers/ex-referees-slam-bonkers-var-in-rangers-vs-st-johnstone-as-decision-highlights-problem-with-modern-officiating-9309672)

Appearing on the So Near Yet So VAR podcast, Madden and Clattenburg both felt a booking was the most the challenge deserved. Clattenburg went as far as calling the trend of turning incidents like this into sending-offs “bonkers”. Their wider complaint is about method: Madden argued that judging tackles through slow-motion replays and freeze frames distorts what actually happened on the pitch. A player’s momentum, the lack of a fully extended leg and the speed of play all disappear once an action is frozen. [thecourier](https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/st-johnstone/5605346/st-johnstone-referee-kai-fotheringham-red-rangers/) [rangersnews](https://www.rangersnews.uk/match/mark-clattenburg-reveals-chris-graham-got-controversial-rangers-vs-st-johnstone-decision-wrong/)

Not everyone agrees. Former FIFA official Keith Hackett called it the correct decision, saying the referee had judged it serious foul play. Pundits Tim Sherwood and Jay Bothroyd also saw the logic, and Sherwood suggested Fotheringham knew exactly what he was doing. St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari said he had no complaints about the result or the red card, despite his players’ protests. [Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/keith-hackett-reacts-kai-fotheringham-184500420.html) [glasgowworld](https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/rangers/ex-referees-slam-bonkers-var-in-rangers-vs-st-johnstone-as-decision-highlights-problem-with-modern-officiating-9309672)

Because Rangers were already well ahead, the red card made no difference to the result. That is partly why the debate is so useful. It shows a growing tension in modern officiating: VAR is meant to fix clear and obvious errors, yet it increasingly invites officials to second-guess honest judgment calls. When respected former referees cannot agree on whether a tackle is a red card, supporters are left to wonder what the technology is really improving.

Sources:

– [Glasgow World: Ex-refs slam ‘bonkers’ VAR in Rangers vs St Johnstone](https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/rangers/ex-referees-slam-bonkers-var-in-rangers-vs-st-johnstone-as-decision-highlights-problem-with-modern-officiating-9309672)

– [The Courier: ‘Bonkers’: High profile ex-referees say Kai Fotheringham should NOT have been sent off