Stuart Kettlewell urges clubs and referees to 'drop the egos' as Motherwell boss wants summit to solve VAR drama

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell has urged managers and referees to “drop the egos” and get round the table to improve officiating and Scottish football’s disciplinary system.

A season riddled with VAR and refereeing controversies came to a head last month when Aberdeen called for modernisation of the SFA’s rulebook after losing an appeal over Graeme Shinnie’s red card against Ross County. The Dons were furious after the midfielder had an extra game added to his ban for what was deemed a “frivolous” appeal and urged fellow clubs to back them with chief executive Alan Burrows - who only left Well for Pittodrie earlier this year - eager to revamp the Judicial Panel Protocol.

Kettlewell himself held talks with referees chief Crawford Allan in March to discuss concerns he had with decisions and the use of VAR in Motherwell’s defeat to Rangers. Now the Fir Park boss has called for a wider debate to be held - involving all clubs - but only if all parties are willing to listen.

He said: “To have a conversation you have to be able to listen. If all parties are going to sit round a table and try to find the best way forward, great.

“You can’t have a dictatorship of us sitting there as clubs telling them it’s rubbish this is the way forward or vice versa and referees telling us everything is correct and they’ve not missed anything.

“Everybody needs to drop their ego. If we want the best way forward for officiating and how this might work then where are we in the process of VAR? Do we want an input from clubs? An input from officials? People need to sit round a table and drop the ego to make sure we are listening to all sides of things.

“We’re not going to agree on everything. But I don’t think it’ll be the worst conversation from