I've been involved in football for over 40 years. I've played, watched, coached, and I've worked for the FA, as an assistant referee, referee, referees tutor, mentor, and assessor. Never have I seen such a poor display from a set of match officials, as I witnessed on Sunday in the Betfred League Cup semi-final. Let's not deflect from another poor performance from Rangers, in a match which Motherwell took their chances, but let's also not ignore the performance of the match officials.

In a week where it was widely reported that Motherwell players were looking to be very physical on Rangers players; wouldn't you think that match officials would be at the top of their game? Sadly no. Rangers players were assaulted, and the match officials did nothing. By letting the first elbow on Morelos go unpunished; the referee sent out the message that physical assault on Rangers players was acceptable.

Things didn't improve, and it ended up with one Rangers player suffering a broken nose, after an assault which would earn you a night in a cell if you committed it on the street. Later in the match, both Bruno Alves and Louis Moult should both have been dismissed for stupidly kicking out at each other, and yet the SFA compliance officer has deemed that only Alves should merit retrospective punishment.

Are the SFA now so corrupt that they no longer hide their persecution of Rangers? Are the SFA now so corrupt that assaults on Rangers players are now deemed acceptable?

After the Scottish Cup Final where Hibs supporters invaded the pitch after the final whistle and assaulted Rangers players and officials, it was whitewashed by the Scottish media, and turned into some kind of 'six of one/half a dozen of the other scenario', where Rangers supporters were apportioned half of the blame and Hibs supporters were excused their disgusting behaviour, and given the excuse that it was simply 'over-exuberance'. Its clear that there is an agenda against Rangers in Scottish football.

But it's not just Rangers who are suffering. The Scottish national team is also suffering, because for as long as assaults on players are acceptable in the Scottish game; the Scottish game will suffer. Some media correspondents like to harken back to the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's, and the days where players could kick out at players, and they still think that it's acceptable. It's not! It hasn't been for a long time, and whether they like it or not: it has no place in modern football.

Football has moved on, almost everywhere except in Scotland. 

When more technically gifted players are assaulted and nothing is done about those thugs who carry out those assaults, then what kind of message does that send out? You may wonder why the Scottish national team hasn't qualified for a major tournament for decades, but I don't.
Scottish football is nothing more than a backwater, occupied by dinosaurs who are still trapped in the past.

Now that the SFA has shown just how corrupt it is, by focusing on Alves while ignoring Bowman and Moult, and allowing assaults on Rangers players, then it is clear that Rangers are playing in the wrong country.

Rangers are not welcome in Scottish football. Despite having been illegally punished, and having earned the right to play in the top league in this country again: it is clear that the hatred which consumes supporters and officials of some clubs in Scotland, will not see them rest until our club is destroyed.

It is clear to me that Rangers Football Club is trapped in a country which does not want it. Scottish football needs the money generated by our supporters, but it doesn't want our club. For that reason; we should be boycotting every away match, while looking for avenues to escape from this country which hates us so much.

I'm not even bothered where we find a league which would take us, because I've been to Annan Athletic, Alloa, and every lower league club in Scotland, and I've stood shoulder to shoulder with loyal supporters who have seen us start at the bottom and work our way back to the top.

Regardless of where we would have to start off: we would rise to the top, and we would break more records along the way, because we are the most loyal supporters in the world.

We are trapped here in Scotland, and we will be held back for as long as it takes us to find a way out.