The phrase “Penalty to Rangers” has become a go-to quip in recent years, often used to imply favoritism toward the club.
It’s a remark rooted in confirmation bias, with every awarded penalty prompting critics to sarcastically say, “here we go again.”
However, a closer look at recent incidents shows there is little evidence to suggest Rangers are receiving undue advantages when it comes to penalty decisions.
One of the most notable examples was the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic, where Rangers were denied a clear penalty after Vaclav Cerny was pulled back inside the box. The controversy was significant enough that the SFA later admitted an error had been made.
More recently, Rangers boss Philippe Clement expressed his frustration over the penalty awarded to Hibs during their draw at Easter Road.
Clement confronted the match officials post-game, and even Sky Sports pundits were left “puzzled” by the decision, backing the manager’s stance.
Despite this, the “Penalty to Rangers” narrative persists, even extending to official club accounts.
Hibs themselves faced potential SFA disciplinary action after posting a contentious tweet following a penalty decision against them in a match against Rangers.
Celtic and Rangers Penalty Comparisons
The notion of bias becomes even more questionable when comparing penalty statistics. At a similar point last season, data disproved the conspiracy theories surrounding Rangers, and the same appears true now.
Currently, Rangers are the only Scottish Premiership side yet to be awarded a penalty this season. Considering their dominance in games and frequent presence in opposition boxes, this statistic is surprising.
Meanwhile, Hibs lead the league with seven penalties, and Celtic have been awarded five, converting all of them.
McCoist’s Take on Celtic Penalties
Celtic’s stoppage-time penalty against Dundee, which salvaged a draw, drew some light-hearted yet pointed comments from Ally McCoist. Speaking on talkSPORT, he joked:
“In two games at home they got a draw with Celtic and a draw with Rangers, you have to say that’s very good. Credit where it’s due.
“I couldn’t believe it. Celtic got a penalty in the 95th minute. That doesn’t happen very often, does it?
“Me and the wee man were coming home from Chelsea and he says, ‘How long to go at Dundee?’ and I said, ‘It’s 92 minutes.’
“He said, ‘It will be two minutes to the penalty,’ and he got it spot on, to be fair. Spot on.”
A Narrative Without Evidence
For all the talk of favoritism, the numbers don’t support claims of bias toward Rangers. If anything, their lack of penalties this season underscores the need to question the validity of these long-standing conspiracy theories. The “Penalty to Rangers” jibe might be popular, but the stats tell a very different story.
