Two experts slam ‘bonkers’ Rangers red card as freeze-frame decision sparks fury.

The controversial red card shown to St Johnstone forward Kai Fotheringham during the heavy defeat against Rangers has been strongly criticised by two former refereeing experts, with both questioning the VAR intervention that resulted in his dismissal.

Fotheringham was sent off during the closing stages of St Johnstone’s 4-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox after referee Chris Graham changed his original decision following a review of the incident on the pitch. VAR official Andrew Dallas recommended that Graham take another look at the challenge involving Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin.

Kai Fotheringham’s tackle on Raskin which led to the red card (Image: Social Media)

After reviewing the footage, Graham decided that the tackle had crossed the threshold for serious foul play and upgraded the initial yellow card to a red. However, former FIFA referee Bobby Madden believes the decision was excessive and argued that the contact did not justify Fotheringham’s dismissal.

Madden questions the red card decision

Fotheringham had challenged Raskin while sliding across a difficult surface, with the St Johnstone player immediately making it clear that he did not believe he had committed a sending-off offence.

The officials reached a different conclusion, determining that the challenge placed Raskin in danger. That interpretation ultimately resulted in Fotheringham being removed from the match.

However, Madden has taken issue with that assessment. Speaking during an episode of So Near, Yet So VAR, the former FIFA official argued that the contact between the two players was extremely limited.

Madden’s view was that referees and VAR officials should consider the complete set of criteria when deciding whether a tackle constitutes serious foul play. In his assessment, the incident did not satisfy the necessary requirements for a red card.

The former official therefore believes the intervention by VAR and the subsequent decision by Graham were incorrect.

Clattenburg also backs Fotheringham

Madden was not alone in questioning the dismissal. Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg also defended Fotheringham and focused on the growing influence of still images and freeze-frame footage when controversial incidents are reviewed.

Clattenburg argued that a single image can make a challenge appear considerably worse than it looked when viewed at normal speed.

He suggested that social media users often circulate a particular frame showing the exact point of contact. If the referee had not initially awarded a red card, that image could then be used to argue that a dismissal was obviously required.

For Clattenburg, however, that approach ignores an important element of refereeing: context.

The freeze-frame problem

The former Premier League official believes modern football has become too focused on isolated moments rather than the complete sequence of events.

According to Clattenburg, viewing only one frozen image can distort how supporters interpret a challenge. A tackle that looks dangerous in a photograph may appear significantly different when the speed, movement and circumstances surrounding the contact are considered.

That is why he believes the incident involving Fotheringham should not be judged solely from a still frame.

His criticism also extends to the wider way VAR incidents are debated. Modern technology provides officials with multiple replays and angles, but Clattenburg believes those tools can sometimes create a misleading impression when an incident is separated from its original context.

He described the increasing reliance on freeze-frame imagery as “bonkers,” highlighting his frustration with how such incidents are now assessed.

Rangers victory was already secure

The controversy surrounding Fotheringham’s dismissal did not have a major influence on the final outcome at Ibrox.

By the time the St Johnstone player was sent off, Rangers were already comfortably ahead and firmly in control of the contest. The home side eventually completed a 4-0 victory, meaning the red card did not determine the winner.

Nevertheless, the incident has become one of the biggest talking points from the match because of the disagreement over whether Fotheringham should have been dismissed.

The decision has generated further discussion about the role VAR should play in assessing challenges and whether officials are sometimes encouraged to interpret incidents more harshly after seeing slow-motion replays.

Debate over VAR intervention continues

The disagreement between Madden, Clattenburg and the match officials highlights the difficulty involved in judging tackles under modern VAR protocols.

Graham initially viewed Fotheringham’s challenge as worthy of a yellow card. However, Dallas believed the incident warranted another look, leading to the pitchside review that eventually changed the outcome.

Madden believes the contact was insufficient to meet the criteria for serious foul play, while Clattenburg has questioned the broader influence of freeze-frame images on refereeing decisions.

Their criticism will inevitably add fuel to the debate among Rangers and St Johnstone supporters about whether VAR is improving decision-making or creating additional controversy.

For Fotheringham, the dismissal was particularly frustrating because he maintained that he had not intended to endanger Raskin. The conditions also played a role, with the attacker sliding into the challenge as he attempted to win the ball.

Although Rangers had already secured a commanding advantage, the incident has continued to attract attention because of the disagreement among experienced refereeing figures.

With two former officials now challenging the decision, the Fotheringham red card is likely to remain a talking point long after Rangers’ convincing victory at Ibrox.