“This is NONSENSE and RUBBISH”- Simon Jordan hits out at what Rangers have done after Celtic controversy

“This is NONSENSE and RUBBISH”- Simon Jordan hits out at what Rangers have done after Celtic controversy

Simon Jordan has hinted that Rangers may have had hidden motives behind their recent criticism of match officials following Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic.

The Ibrox club released a statement on Monday expressing their anger at a controversial incident involving Auston Trusty and Jack Butland.

The Celtic defender caught the Rangers goalkeeper in the head while Butland already had both hands on the ball. Despite the apparent danger, Trusty was only booked, and VAR chose not to intervene further.

Rangers went on to lose 3–1 to their Glasgow rivals after Thelo Aasgaard was sent off in the first half for a high challenge on Anthony Ralston.

In their official statement, Rangers revealed they had met with the Scottish FA to demand explanations for the key decisions in the match:

“Club representatives met with the Scottish FA this evening to seek explanations for major decisions in the match, including the incident involving Jack Butland and Auston Trusty.

Following that meeting, we remain unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision, the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently robust or thorough.”

However, talkSPORT pundit and former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan questioned the timing and intent behind the club’s comments.

“If refereeing standards aren’t high, and all the clubs agree on that, then they’re right to challenge the governing body,” Jordan said on Tuesday. “But I often feel the motivation isn’t improvement—it’s deflection.

“If Rangers were flying high, winning games, and leading the league, I doubt we’d be hearing these complaints. It’s easy to use refereeing controversies to shift attention away from other issues when things aren’t going well.”

Rangers boss Danny Rohl, meanwhile, declined to join in on the criticism of referee Nick Walsh after the match.

“I haven’t watched the red card back yet, but that’s the referee’s decision,” the German said. “It’s not my role to comment on officials. My focus is always on myself and my team.”

Rohl’s diplomatic stance contrasts sharply with the tone of the club’s official statement, which has reignited debate over refereeing standards in Scottish football.

This is not the first time Rangers have clashed with the authorities over officiating, with similar disputes surfacing after last year’s Premier Sports Cup final.

Unless the ongoing meetings and complaints lead to genuine reform, critics argue that more decisive action may soon be required.