The SFA have pointed the finger of blame at Craig Thomson after over-turning Stuart McCall’s one match touchline ban.
The fiery Motherwell boss clashed with Thomson at half-time during his club’s Scottish Cup defeat from Aberdeen and was sent to the stand for the second half.
Thomson reported McCall to the SFA for using foul and abusive language who offered the Fir Park boss a one match ban which was rejected.
McCall appealed to the SFA who yesterday overturned Thomson’s version of events allowing McCall to remain in the dug out.
Motherwell stated yesterday: “Stuart McCall has been found not guilty at the hearing this morning and will not face any suspension resulting from the Aberdeen game on 11 March.”
McCall was alleged to have breached rule 203, which includes offences such as the repeated use of abusive and insulting language and adopting an aggressive attitude towards match officials or calling their integrity into question.
After the defeat McCall said: “I didn’t call anyone embarrassing and I didn’t swear. That’s one million per cent what I said, so if he’s accepting that and still sending me to the stand then something can’t be right.
“All I said was that when you see it again, the decision is embarrassing. It’s not a verbal criticism of him as a person.
“Everyone gets decisions wrong but all you’ve got to do as a good referee is look at the response of the opposition. Aberdeen have turned round and gone back to the halfway line. That tells you it’s a goal-kick.
“You see it week in week out. If a corner has been given that’s not a corner, the ball comes in and they end up giving a free-kick.
“Aberdeen have got five boys who are 6 foot 2 plus and we’ve got three just making six foot, so they are going to win headers. One decision like that can cost you.
“I was thinking, ‘they’re going to score from this’, but you just hope that Craig, as a good referee, is going to blow up somewhere. It didn’t happen and that just frustrated me.”
Neil Lennon faces a similar charge from the SFA after being dismissed from the dug out during the recent Rangers v Celtic match at Ibrox.
The hoops boss insists that he has witnesses to his half time conversation with Calum Murray which resulted in Lennon watching the second half of the match from the media room at Ibrox.
Thomson will represent the SFA at this summer’s European Championships.
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nice to see the SweetFAlls overturning a decision.
I wonder if they’d ever do it for Celtic and not an ex-ranger
Theres no way Neil Francis Lennon will get off with this . No way !
Just watch the SFA back Brines/Murray to the hilt.
If your Names Lennon and your Irish catholic no justice for you.
If they could get away with it they would still have signs saying ” no Irish need apply”
being a catholic is enough for these bastards stevie,but as I say continuesly we do not have to accept it.
McCall needs to understand that Thompson was only finishing the job McCall had started the week before and that they both have the same objective. To secure second place for Rangers.