Scottish FA deliver verdict on Rangers v St Johnstone whistle-gate following Hampden referee complaints

The Scottish FA has determined that referee Matthew MacDermid did not blow his whistle before Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers scored the opening goal against St Johnstone on Saturday.

Dessers struck in the 61st minute of the Premier Sports Cup clash, which Rangers went on to win 2-0, after MacDermid appeared to signal for a free-kick to St Johnstone by raising him arm and putting his whistle to his mouth.

Play continued with Dessers lashing the ball into the net, only for MacDermid to rule out the strike for what he perceived to be a foul on St Johnstone defender Jack Sanders in the build-up.

Referee Matthew MacDermid during the Premier Sports Cup last 16 match between Rangers and St Johnstone at Hampden Park, on August 17, 2024. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

MacDermid was then summoned to the pitch-side monitor by VAR official Grag Aitken, and changed his mind by allowing the goal to stand after reviewing the footage, prompting an angry response from the St Johnstone players.

St Johnstone manager Craig Levein claimed several of his players felt they heard a whistle before the ball hit the back of the net, stating: “Some of them said he blew the whistle. I'm not being funny, but how could you hear? I don't know. I even tried to listen back to it on the footage and all the rest of it. I can't tell.

“Everybody stopped because of one or two things. Either they've stopped because they heard the whistle or they've seen the referee giving us a free kick. And then of course what makes it worse because the players are then really frustrated and say stuff to the referee they end up getting booked. I think the referee's made a mistake."

Those St Johnstone concerns prompted a meeting with SFA referees’ chiefs on Monday where the Perth club were informed that the referee’s whistle was not blown before the ball hit the net and that, after reviewing the VAR audio, all protocols were followed correctly.