BBC Sportscene faces claims of anti-Rangers bias following analysis that disagreed with the manager.

Rangers produced another convincing result on Saturday as they defeated St Johnstone 4-0 at Ibrox, although the contest became considerably more straightforward after Saints midfielder Kai Fotheringham was shown a red card during the second half.

The Light Blues had already established a commanding three-goal advantage before the dismissal. Kevin Kelsy had scored twice, while Ryan Naderi had also found the net, leaving Rangers firmly in control before Fotheringham’s challenge on Nicolas Raskin became the major talking point.

Referee Chris Graham initially decided that the challenge did not warrant a sending-off. However, VAR official Andrew Dallas intervened and recommended that Graham review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

After taking time to assess the footage from different angles, Graham overturned his original decision and dismissed Fotheringham. Yet, when the incident was discussed on BBC Sportscene later that evening, both James McFadden and presenter Steven Thompson questioned whether the Rangers midfielder had actually committed a red-card offence.

McFadden questions the decision

McFadden acknowledged that the contact did not look good when viewed initially, particularly because Fotheringham’s follow-through caught Raskin around the ankle. However, the former Scotland international argued that there was not enough force involved to justify the strongest possible punishment.

Fotheringham had only entered the game at half-time, replacing Josh Fowler, but his introduction quickly became significant.

The controversial moment arrived in the 73rd minute when the St Johnstone midfielder challenged Raskin. Dallas believed the original decision needed further consideration and sent Graham to the monitor.

McFadden said he understood why the referee was concerned after seeing the point of contact, but he did not believe the tackle contained an excessive amount of force.

He pointed out that Fotheringham appeared to win the ball and suggested the midfielder attempted to withdraw his legs as contact was made. In McFadden’s view, the follow-through catching Raskin above the ankle would normally attract serious attention, but the circumstances did not convince him that a dismissal was necessary.

The former Premier League player also questioned why Graham spent such a long period reviewing the footage.

McFadden argued that the referee could clearly see the initial slide, the contact and the follow-through, and therefore struggled to understand why the final decision took so much time.

Thompson agrees with the assessment

Sportscene host Steven Thompson shared McFadden’s interpretation of the incident.

Thompson believed the footage showed Fotheringham attempting to pull out of the challenge before making contact with Raskin. He also rejected the suggestion that there was sufficient danger or intent in the tackle to justify a red card.

For Thompson, there was no obvious attempt to deliberately hurt the Rangers midfielder. He described the incident as lacking malice and suggested the contact did not amount to endangering an opponent.

McFadden similarly argued that the challenge did not reach the threshold of excessive force or brutality required for a straight red card.

That assessment, however, was not shared by everyone involved.

Valakari sees the incident differently

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari appeared to take a considerably different position after the match.

Rather than strongly criticising the referee, Valakari admitted that Fotheringham probably deserved to be dismissed and said he had no complaints about the decision.

The Saints boss described the incident as unfortunate but accepted that his player’s leg had been raised too high. In his opinion, that was ultimately what caused Graham to issue the red card.

Valakari’s reaction is particularly notable because he had every reason to be frustrated with the decision, yet he still accepted the referee’s interpretation.

His comments therefore contrast sharply with the analysis offered by the BBC Sportscene team.

Former referee backs the red card

There was also support for Graham’s decision from former Premier League referee Keith Hackett.

Speaking to Ibrox News, Hackett argued that the red card was correct. He described Fotheringham as being out of control while attempting the challenge on a slippery surface.

That interpretation adds another layer to the debate because it comes from someone with extensive refereeing experience.

The disagreement therefore appears straightforward. The referee initially allowed the challenge to continue, VAR believed it deserved another look, Graham eventually decided it warranted a dismissal, St Johnstone’s manager accepted the decision and a former top-level referee backed it.

Yet the BBC Sportscene analysis reached the opposite conclusion.

Rangers fans will have their say

Rangers supporters are unlikely to be surprised by another BBC discussion that they believe has gone against their club.

From their perspective, the issue is not simply whether Fotheringham’s challenge was worthy of a red card. It is the apparent contrast between the Sportscene assessment and the opinions of people with direct involvement or professional refereeing experience.

Valakari had no reason to defend the decision, yet he admitted that the sending-off was probably justified. Hackett independently reached the same conclusion from a refereeing perspective.

That leaves Rangers fans asking why Thompson and McFadden viewed the incident so differently.

There will always be disagreements over VAR decisions, particularly when slow-motion footage can make tackles appear different from what happens in real time. However, the combination of the referee’s eventual decision, the Saints manager’s comments and Hackett’s assessment provides plenty of material for debate.

Ultimately, Graham decided after reviewing the footage that Fotheringham’s challenge crossed the line. Rangers had already built a three-goal lead, but the dismissal removed any realistic prospect of a St Johnstone comeback.

Whether supporters agree with the decision or not, the contrasting opinions have ensured that the red card remains a talking point beyond the final whistle.