Alan Muir taken off VAR duties following high profile errors

Alan Muir has been taken off VAR duties following a string of high-profile errors, STV News understands.

The official was in charge of the Video Assisted Referee technology in the League Cup final in December when Rangers were wrongly denied a penalty.

He was also responsible for Celtic having a goal chalked off in their 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road in February.

Vaclav Cerny was pulled down by Liam Scales on the edge of the area at Hampden at the start of extra-time with a free-kick being awarded.

Video replays showed that the winger was on the line of the area, meaning a penalty should have been awarded, but VAR did not intervene.

Celtic went on to win the trophy after a penalty shootout victory.

Two months later, the Hoops were trailing 2-1 in Edinburgh when Daizen Maeda turned home a cross from Alistair Johnston to make it 2-2.

The on-field official gave the goal but VAR intervened to say the ball had gone out of play before the Canadian full-back reached it.

However, replays showed that decision to be inconclusive and head of referees Willie Collum admitted that the goal should have stood.

Muir was initially kept off Premiership matches for a two-week period, but it is now understood that Collum has decided to take him off VAR permanently.

After the cup final then-Rangers boss Philippe Clement said “all of Europe” was talking about the decision not to award his side a spot-kick in extra-time.

And in February, Brendan Rodgers accused Muir of “guesswork” for denying his side an equaliser at Easter Road.