Malky Mackay demands SPFL summit as he calls on bosses and refs to have frank VAR grievance conversation

Malky Mackay has called for a clear-the-air Scottish football summit for top flight managers, league officials and referee chiefs to voice their grievances.

The Ross County boss like the rest of his 11 fellow Premiership managers has been left by a number of refereeing and VAR calls. He was speaking after County’s Viaplay Cup midweek exit to Aberdeen, where Josh Sims was taken to hospital with a nasty gash - even though no action was taken by referee John Beaton. Mackay believes the Scottish game would improve if all sides were given the chance to put their grievances forward and then everybody could get together on a plan to improve the general standard of Scottish football.

Mackay claimed: “I think we could have conversations as a whole, to the 12 managers in the Scottish Premiership with the leaders of the SPFL and our refereeing association. “I think we should have a general conversation about the season and the season has just gone. “Where everybody feels that situations can change and we can do better as a whole.”

Mackay has insisted it isn’t a witch-hunt at officials but a move to make their job easier and less controversial. It is about getting clarification on things like the controversial handball rule and maybe they could learn from England when it comes to feedback about the performances of officials.

He insisted: “I am not talking about us being critical of referees. I am talking about us all having conversations so they get their bugbears out and we can do the same thing.

“I am not criticising them (referees), I am talking about their thoughts on managers and our behaviours and how we can change and where we can speak to them where we feel rules haven’t been applied in a certain way."

The experienced boss