Rangers begin their Scottish Cup campaign on Friday evening with a home tie against League Two side Annan Athletic, but once again VAR is set to play a central role in the build-up.
For Annan, the trip to Ibrox will mark their first-ever experience of a match with Video Assistant Referee technology in operation. The Galabank club confirmed on X that the Scottish FA had provided their squad with a VAR briefing ahead of the fixture.
“A massive thank you to the Scottish FA for giving the team a VAR briefing ahead of Friday’s game against Rangers at Ibrox,” Annan wrote.
“A great insight ahead of our first ever game with VAR in operation!”
While Annan are preparing for the unknown, Rangers supporters are only too familiar with VAR’s influence this season – and not always in a positive way.
The Gers have had 15 goals disallowed in just 22 matches across domestic competitions, more than any other team in Scotland.
That figure is almost double that of Celtic, who have seen eight goals chalked off.
For many Rangers fans, VAR has become a recurring source of frustration, with marginal decisions repeatedly going against them.
Friday’s match will be officiated by referee Duncan Nicolson, whose disciplinary record has raised eyebrows.
Across 24 matches this season, he has issued 102 yellow cards, five red cards, and awarded eight penalties. Only eight of those games have come in the Premiership, meaning his officiating style has largely been seen in the lower divisions.
With VAR in operation at Ibrox, Rangers will be hoping for a smoother experience than they have endured so far this season – particularly in front of goal.
The stakes are high for the Gers. Last season’s Scottish Cup campaign ended in humiliating fashion when lower-league Queen’s Park stunned Rangers with a 1-0 fifth-round victory at Ibrox.
That defeat proved to be the final straw for Philippe Clement, whose year-and-a-half tenure as manager came to an abrupt end.
Since then, the club has undergone further change. Barry Ferguson took the reigns on interim charge until the end of the season before Russell Martin was appointed but was sacked in October after a disastrous spell that saw him crowned Rangers worst ever full-time manager.
His replacement, Danny Röhl, has overseen a remarkable turnaround.
Under Röhl, Rangers have been dragged back into the title race and are now chasing a potential domestic double.
That context makes Friday night’s tie more than just a routine cup fixture – it is a test of whether Rangers can avoid another damaging slip against lower-league opposition on home soil.
Annan, meanwhile, arrive with a new signing in Cammy Clark, who has rejoined the club from Dumbarton with midfielder Josh Todd moving the other way to the Sons of the Rock.
Clark previously played for Annan between 2020 and 2022 and is a lifelong Rangers fan.
He was part of the Annan side that faced Rangers in January 2022 under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, when the Gers won 3-0 at Galabank in Aaron Ramsey’s debut match.
Clark later posted on social media: “What an experience tonight, against the team I grew up supporting.
“Proud of my teammates. We gave it all we had,” alongside a photo with the Welsh international.
Now, Clark returns to Ibrox hoping to make an impact – albeit under the watchful eye of VAR.
Annan famously defeated Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox back in 2013, towards the end of the club's first season in the lower leagues under Ally McCoist.
For Rangers, the message is clear: start the cup campaign strongly, avoid controversy, and ensure VAR is not the dominant talking point once again.
After the heartbreak of last season and the chaos that followed, Röhl’s revitalised Rangers side know there is no room for complacency.
With a title challenge back on track and silverware firmly in sight, anything less than a professional, drama-free performance would be seen as a step backwards.
And as ever, VAR will be watching.