Peter Grant erupts in astonishing Celtic VAR rant as Brendan Rodgers lands fiery defence after ‘joke’ SFA charge

Furious Peter Grant raged at the SFA over their decision to uphold Yang’s red card – before defending Brendan Rodgers over a potential punishment after his heated post-match rant.

The South Korea international saw his red card appeal was thrown out by the SFA with details of Celtic‘s case made to the Hampden chiefs now emerging. The winger was given his marching orders in the Premiership champions’ 2-0 defeat to Hearts after he caught Alex Cochrane in the face with a high boot. Referee Don Robertson had initially booked the winger but but John Beaton in the VAR room advised him to review the flashpoint – and a red card was issued.

Boss Rodgers has now been charged by the SFA following his outburst over the match officials after the full-time whistle – as he hit out at the decision to send off the attacker as well as the penalty awarded against Tomoki Iwata for handball. Speaking on Go Radio, Hoops’ legend Grant didn’t hold back on the performance of the officials – as he went after the governing body for refusing to clear Yang.

He said: “There was no chance of it getting overturned. A couple of weeks ago the head of referees came out and said they had made mistakes, and hoped between now and the end of the season they could iron that out. So you could guarantee there was absolutely no chance of them turning that round.

“The decision was a disgrace, for me at the time I am thinking it’s not even a booking. That is a skill – if he knocks if over his head and pulls it down we would say what a piece of fantastic skill. Unfortunately the boy has put his head into his foot.

“His foot is high for sure, but there is no blood and no mark on his face. I heard somebody comparing it with Joe Hart at St Mirren (red card for high foot), this is completely different. This is a hook and it’s the outside of the boot that hits him.

“With the referees it’s disgusting. You have Crawford Allan and the two guys on Saturday, Beaton and Robertson – if they three guys can’t get the right decision that how tells you how bad it is. He has made the correct decision in giving the free-kick – the boot is high.

“The yellow card I would have agreed with that, and a red card is a disgrace. But to go back to the office now and Celtic have asked it to be looked at and not to change it again – VAR is a disgrace and the referees are so poor if they can’t get that decision right. I seen them (the referees) coming out with an excuse saying the referees and their families will be getting criticism – I said that all along that VAR should not have come here because Scotland is completely different from anywhere else.

“Size wise and where the referees are situated, but the same guys have got to understand that if Celtic lose the league this year – do they think the fans will be happy with them? Do you think those players won’t get any criticism? Unfortunately that is the nature of the beast. From day one up here I said VAR is a joke.

“It’s not just the high boot, there was so many bad decisions. It was terrible to watch it. I know the pressure the guys are under – but now the problem is they are not admitting they have got it wrong.”

News over Rodgers being charged by the SFA broke while Grant was mid-rant, and he went on: “What did they expect him to say? It’s the truth. I’m not just saying it for Celtic but for other managers some of the decisions have been disgraceful.

“Not just at the top with Celtic and Rangers, down at the bottom of the league some of the decisions have been a disgrace. So who do they answer to? That’s the problem. Now they are asking Brendan Rodgers to explain himself, why? They should be the one explaining themselves. It’s a shocking decision.”