Another Thelwell bungle as he screws up Rangers’ refereeing controversy | OneFootball

Another Thelwell bungle as he screws up Rangers’ refereeing controversy | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Ibrox Noise

Ibrox Noise

·15 November 2025

Another Thelwell bungle as he screws up Rangers’ refereeing controversy

Article image:Another Thelwell bungle as he screws up Rangers’ refereeing controversy

Rangers Kevin Thelwell quote exposed another baffling moment from a man who keeps tripping over his own message, and as Ibrox Noise highlighted this only adds to the doubts over his communication. This Rangers Kevin Thelwell quote should have strengthened the club’s stance yet it ended up weakening it because the language made no sense. Fans watched the fallout with disbelief as the line turned into another avoidable blunder. Rangers Kevin Thelwell quote became the story instead of the decision.

The wording made no sense

Thelwell wanted to hammer officials for ignoring a clear red card, yet as Ibrox Noise noted supporters instantly spotted how the phrasing failed. The club wanted authority yet the director delivered confusion. The phrase nothing short of a red card actually means it must be a red. He meant anything short of a red card which is entirely different. That tiny change flipped the whole meaning. It turned a strong argument into a muddled statement that left even allies puzzled.


OneFootball Videos


“We all feel like it’s a dangerous precedent to be setting to say that striking somebody on the head is nothing short of a red card.”

For those unsure, this statement is literally nonsense. This statement is saying that striking someone on the head is a red card. And that’s a dangerous predecent. What the man meant would have been ‘striking someone on the head is short of a red card’.

The ‘nothing’ changes it entirely.

Rangers needed clarity not chaos

Fans wanted leadership which Ibrox Noise explained with sharp honesty. They wanted a clean message that forced the SFA to answer tough questions. Instead the spotlight turned onto the wording. Critics used it to mock the club. The players needed a firm stance but they watched their own director stumble through the language. Supporters raged because the officials already looked shaky. The last thing Rangers needed was a public slip that shifted attention away from the poor call. The club should address weak decisions. The club should demand fairness. The club should not need to explain its own statements the next day.

This keeps happening far too often

Supporters have grown tired of small mistakes that carry big consequences and Rangers’ official statement reminded everyone of how vital clarity is. They want focus. They want force. They want a message that stands without debate. Thelwell must realise that every word matters during moments like this. He represents Rangers on the biggest stages. Therefore he must deliver sharp lines that cannot be twisted. He cannot afford errors that let officials off the hook. He should control the story not lose it. He should call out decisions not distract from them.

Fans already feel frustration with the direction of the football side, as Thelwell’s own remarks show. They viewed this quote as another sign that the leadership lacks precision when it matters most. The argument itself stood firm because Rangers had every right to challenge the decision. The problem came from the delivery. Supporters want him to show strength with clear speech that cuts through the noise. They expect him to handle the pressure. They expect him to choose words that match the seriousness of the moment. If he cannot even land a simple sentence he risks losing the confidence of a support that demands higher standards.

View publisher imprint