Motherwell slam VAR use after winning Kofi Balmer red card appeal

Motherwell have slammed the use of VAR after winning their appeal over the red card shown to Kofi Balmer in their defeat to Kilmarnock.

The defender was sent off following a review midway through the first-half on Saturday after catching Fraser Murray on the thigh with a tackle on the 26th minute.

Fraser Murray and Joe Wright both scored as Killie won 2-0 in the Premiership clash at Rugby Park, with Motherwell playing an hour with ten men.

That result leaves the Steelmen going into the last game before the split having to beat Hearts and hope St Mirren drop points at Ross County to secure a place in the top half.

After the game, manager Michael Wimmer bemoaned the intervention, stating it was “never a red card”.

“If I’m honest, it was never a red card for me because he tried to clear the situation. It was one swing, one movement”, he said.

“This is never a red card. If this is a red card, then last weekend in Aberdeen, it was a double red card.”

The Fir Park club said that they were submitting an appeal against the decision, and the SFA confirmed on Tuesday that the decision had been overturned.

Balmer is now available to play against Hearts on Sunday.

We can confirm that Kofi Balmer's red card has been rescinded, and the defender is available for selection.

However, this doesn't get away from the fact Motherwell played with ten men for over 75 minutes in an important fixture just prior to the split.
— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC) April 8, 2025

Motherwell released a strong statement saying there were “delighted” that the red card had been overturned, but criticised the use of VAR and “continued errors throughout the season”.

They have claimed they have been directly impacted by eight instances of incorrect referee or VAR decisions.

The full statement read: “The club are delighted that the correct decision has eventually been reached.

“However, this doesn’t get away from the fact Motherwell played with ten men for over 75 minutes in an important fixture just prior to the split.

“This is the second time this season the club has had to go through the time, effort and expenditure to appeal a red card decision.

“We have concerns that VAR felt that this was an obvious refereeing error in the first place. Again, the on-field review has come out with the wrong outcome.

“We spend a significant six-figure sum each season towards the running costs of VAR at the stadium. There have been eight instances so far this season where Motherwell have been directly impacted by what has subsequently been deemed an incorrect referee or VAR decision.

“This was as recent as last week when a tackle on Andy Halliday went unpunished, and the SFA’s KMI panel viewed it as a unanimous red card.

“These continued errors throughout the season, for all clubs, will have a direct impact on where teams will finish in the final standings, which obviously determines finances for each club.

“We hope that with the financial commitment put on the club to use VAR, combined with the frustration our fans get from the game due to the intervention from VAR, we see significant improvement in its implementation going forward.”