DISAPPOINTED Dougie Imrie has expressed his frustration after Morton's appeal against George Oakley's controversial red card last weekend was turfed out.

The Ton chief was taken aback when the challenge was rejected earlier this week, having fully expected the original decision to be overturned after watching replays of the incident.

Greenock Telegraph:

Imrie says he simply cannot understand why his player was penalised for violent conduct.

He told the Tele: “I'm bitterly disappointed that George’s appeal hasn’t been successful because I thought he had legitimate grounds to put forward to the judicial panel.

“The referee’s take on it and then the evidence that we as a club submitted were totally different in terms of what took place, which is really disappointing.

“I don’t want to go into too much detail on that part because it wouldn’t be fair on Grant Irvine the ref, but if the two accounts had matched up then I’d have held my hands up and accepted the punishment that both George and the club have been dealt with.

“When I saw the report that was put in, and then what actually happened, the two accounts were miles apart. I don’t know how it never got overturned. If that is deemed violent conduct then for me the game is going the wrong way.

“We’ll now have to miss George for two games, which is unfair on the player and on us as a team."

Imrie also believes that the rest of Scottish football is suffering as a direct consequence of the introduction of VAR in the top flight.

He said: “I don’t think VAR should’ve been introduced because you’re then taking away the actual referee’s job.

“At the end of the day a referee’s job is to manage the game and make decisions. They’re just letting things run now and letting a computer screen make decisions for them as opposed to just doing it there and then.

“You used to be able to go to the pub with your pals after the game and have a debate about pieces of play or dubious decisions, now it just seems to be relentlessly about VAR.

“I think at times it’s becoming a farce, it's my own opinion but I’d love to go back to the way it was.

“Even just for fan experience, VAR kills the flow, there’s no continuity in games.

“I get that it comes down to finances, but it should be across every level because if we had VAR last weekend, I firmly believe George’s appeal would’ve been rescinded to a yellow.

“I get they want to bring it in but for fairness it should be rolled out at all levels and the SFA should pay for it.

“If you get a player sent off in the Premiership, there’s more angles and cameras available for you to appeal it and probably be successful.

“Win bonuses and appearance fees are huge for this level, every penny’s a prisoner.

"Decisions that in my opinion are wrong have left boys missing out on finances that could be helping them pay mortgages and things like that.”