Rangers chief executive Patrick Stewart has reportedly held discussions with referee chief Willie Collum following the controversial decision not to send off Celtic defender Auston Trusty during Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final clash at Hampden Park.
Rangers were reduced to ten men early in the game when Thelo Aasgaard saw red for a dangerous challenge on Anthony Ralston, but frustration grew among the Ibrox camp when Trusty escaped with only a yellow card after catching goalkeeper Jack Butland in the head, despite the keeper already holding the ball.
Referee Nick Walsh showed yellow, and VAR chose not to intervene — a decision that left Rangers furious after they went on to lose 3-1 in extra time. Trusty was later named man of the match.
According to STV, Stewart has since spoken directly with Collum, the SFA’s head of referee operations, to seek clarity on the incident.
After the match, Rangers captain James Tavernier revealed that Walsh told him there wasn’t enough force in the challenge to warrant a red card. Tavernier, however, disagreed:
“He said it was about the force of the stamp. But it’s still the intent — the intent is to put a boot on his head. Hard or soft, it’s still dangerous.”
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