Scott McTominay controversy: 'No request for tape' claim from SFA as Scots await outcome of crunch Oslo qualifier

Scotland will be on tenterhooks tonight awaiting the outcome of the Group A qualifier between Norway and Spain in Oslo.

Scott McTominay celebrates scoring the Scotland goal that was later annulled during the defeat to Spain. (Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images)

A win or a draw for the visitors will seal a place at Euro 2024 for Steve Clarke's side next summer. It would be just the second time since 1998 that the men’s team have qualified for a major finals, both times under Clarke.

The Scotland manager remains acutely conscious of not jinxing anything and chose not to do any media activity yesterday as he continued preparing for Tuesday’s friendly clash against France. The players were given a day off.

Another reason for wishing to avoid any media appointments is a desire not to have to answer questions concerning the ongoing fallout from Thursday night’s 2-0 defeat to Spain.

SFA president Mike Mulraney took to the airwaves yesterday (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Scotland are still smarting from Scott McTominay’s disallowed free-kick goal on the hour mark. However, Scottish Football Association president Mike Mulraney did appear on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound programme yesterday, when he was quizzed about a topic still dominating the Scottish football agenda.

The SFA wrote to Uefa on Friday with several questions concerning the performance of the officials, VAR team included. McTominay’s strike would have given the visitors the lead in a game where just a point was enough to secure qualification for next summer’s finals. The goal was ruled out by Dutch referee Serdar Gozubuyuk following a VAR check, although the reason originally given was for a foul by Scotland defender Jack Hendry on Spain ‘keeper Unai Simon. Uefa later stated it was for offside.

Although Clarke expressed a desire to move on from the episode when asked about it afterwards, the SFA wrote to Roberto Rossetti, the Uefa head of refereeing, on Friday seeking clarification on the confusion and contradictions surrounding the disallowed strike.

Perhaps conscious of setting a precedent that would only pose difficulties for the governing body in terms of the domestic game, Mulraney confirmed the SFA had not requested tape of the conversation between the match officials as they debated the legitimacy of the goal.

"We've asked for clarity, we've not asked for the audio," Mulraney said. "We've asked for clarity and an understanding of what the process was. We've got a responsibility to our fans and the nation. We need to represent our nation properly.

"It's not just Scotland who have been questioning this. I've had messages from all over Europe asking: 'what happened?'

"My answer is, I don't know. Transparency is very important and that's what we've asked for. I'm sure Uefa will be forthcoming with an explanation, which we can then give out."

Clarke, meanwhile, is still considering calling up a replacement for skipper Andy Robertson, who was forced off before half time against Spain after dislocating his shoulder in a challenge with goalkeeper Unai Simon. He spent yesterday assessing options.