Michael Beale: Rangers boss admits he was wrong to protest against Celtic goal in Old Firm game | Football News
Michael Beale condemned the abuse referee Kevin Clancy received after last week’s Old Firm defeat as he admitted incorrectly protesting one of the Celtic’s goals.
The Rangers boss felt they were on the wrong end of two key decisions in the 3-2 defeat at Parkhead which all but settled the destination of the Scottish Premiership.
Striker Alfredo Morelos had a ‘goal’ chalked off after Clancy judged that Hoops defender Alastair Johnston had been fouled in a tussle between the two players.
Then, at 1-1, Kyogo Furuhashi drove in his second for the home side, with Beale claiming the ball came off the arm of Jota beforehand.
Rangers subsequently wrote to the Scottish Football Association seeking an explanation for Morelos’ disallowed strike before it was revealed police had been called in to deal with a “significant volume of threatening and abusive emails” to Clancy.
Ahead of the home game against St Mirren on Saturday, Beale said: “I haven’t (spoken to Crawford Allan, head of referee operations at the SFA). I have in the past but not this week and I wasn’t involved in the asking of questions.
“To me, the game was done. I disagree with one decision, I got it wrong on another because on the angle I saw I thought it hit the boy’s arm.
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Highlights of the thrilling Old Firm game between Celtic and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
“It hadn’t so fair play, but I still think the first decision was the wrong one. It is up for debate but the game has gone. We are not going to be able to change the result of the game.
“I don’t know the facts, but if Kevin has been getting abuse, it is not something that we accept in football and it is something as a club that we condemn and we are not happy with.
“Whoever the referee is, in whatever game around the world, it is a difficult job as it is. On the day the referee makes the decisions that he sees.
“I happen to think in that moment it was a wrong decision, but across the whole game you can’t count too many decisions that were up for debate. Just that one moment and it had an impact.
“In every big derby, and certainly this one, it drags on for days and days and we have to be careful with that.
“It was a good game. Unfortunately we came off second best. I am disappointed with that more than anything else.”
Key players missing for Rangers
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Michael Beale has revealed key players including Ryan Kent, Antonio Colak and Connor Goldson will miss the game vs St Mirren as he insists they are looking at why the injury list is growing.
Rangers are 12 points behind champions-elect Celtic with seven fixtures remaining, and Beale will be without another five players who have been added to the injury list.
Defender Connor Goldson remains out with a hip flexor problem and the Gers boss revealed winger Ryan Kent, midfielder Ryan Jack, attacker Scott Wright, striker Antonio Colak and left-back Ridvan Yilmaz are also unavailable.
Leon King (knock), Kemar Roofe (hip), Tom Lawrence (heel), Steven Davis (knee) and Filip Helander (foot) have been out long term.
Beale said: “There are quite a few who are unavailable this weekend. I think one or two are niggles that we don’t want to risk right now.
Connor Goldson missed Rangers defeat to Celtic
“Connor has a possibility of playing next weekend, but we have an eye on the Scottish Cup semi-final (against Celtic) for him.
“Ryan Kent had an awkward landing right at the end of the Celtic game and has quite a lot of bruising around it and has not been able to come to training this week, so we just need to assess where that is the early part of next week.
“Ridvan will be back, Antonio has a slight problem with his calf, Jacko opened his knee out yesterday but we don’t think it is anything major there.”
Before the end of the season, Beale will give an opportunity to third choice keeper Robby McCrorie, who has missed most of Beale’s time as boss through injury.
The former QPR manager said: “He is getting closer and closer to full fitness.
“Since I came here, he has barely been able to train or play. Now he has had two B-team games and in the last few games, it is fair to say, you will see Robby McCrorie being given an opportunity.”
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