Rangers hope World Cup cash will pay for better VAR

Rangers are hoping money made by Scotland at the World Cup can go towards improving video assistant referees (VAR), and officiating standards in general, in the domestic game.

Decision making again came under the spotlight in the final week of the Scottish Premiership season, with Hearts feeling aggrieved at being denied a penalty against Motherwell - and then with a late spot-kick title rivals, and eventual champions, Celtic earned against the same opponents three days later.

Now Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie has revealed that, having "a long history of being the leading club", they are meeting the Scottish FA on Friday to talk about "how we can improve Scottish football".

He told the Press Association the Ibrox club will pay their "fair share" of any increased expenditure for VAR technology having already held a meeting with the SPFL that the SFA attended.

"We all agreed that we need to be more aligned on strategy and improving the standards," Gillespie said.

"We can all shout about a decision, but what changes? Do we just apologise on the Monday? Do we accept that apology?

"What has to change? Do we need to increase digital performance, or have full-time referees?

"Ultimately, we are going to the World Cup and the Scottish FA is making some money. How do we get some of that to get things improved?

"Can we as clubs support improved resources, whether that is financial or in other ways, like cameras in stadia?"

Gillespie said, for the sake of "Scottish football's reputation", it was crucial to make improvements.

"But I don't think at this stage we should be saying VAR is no good," he said.

"VAR is there to improve and you do see other leagues where it does make a positive impact, or more of a positive impact, and I think that is the strategy at the moment.

"At that meeting, there was a definite alignment to look at a strategy, talk about it and take it forward."

Gillespie felt Rangers had a duty to press for improvements.

"We have a great belief at Rangers that we are the leading club and we want to be the leading club, he added. "We want Scottish football to be the best it can be.

"Our request is that, at the moment, regulators and governing bodies start leading alongside us.

"That will improve all standards and particularly refereeing, the hot topic at the moment.

"Our view is that there are lots of concerns and how do we get involved to improve it and make it stronger and increase resources?

"That includes leadership from the governing bodies but also from the other clubs around us."