Celtic challenge the SFA for answers
Rejecting Glenn Loovens appeal against a one match suspension handed out by the SFA seems to have opened a can of worms that requires answering.
Celtic’s question to the SFA seems quite clear cut: ‘to ascertain the criteria for referring incidents to the SFA Review Panel’.
A look through the section on the SFA website seems to suggest that clubs can appeal against sendings-off to the Review Panel.
OVERTURNING
Video evidence is taken into account and a retrospective judgement made; some decisions are confirmed and some decisions are overturned allowing players to avoid suspensions with red card’s rescinded or downgraded to yellow card offenses.
Fair enough, no argument there. You can’t turn the clock back but at least players aren’t being punished twice over for mistakes made by referees.
The more contentious issues are those that found Glenn Loovens and Scott McDonald called before the SFA for incidents in the matches against Rangers on May 9 and Dundee United on May 12.
Who made those decisions?
Why were those decisions made?
MISTAKES
There are lots of other questions that arise but in every single football match there are questionable decisions made, referees make mistakes just like players and managers.
Even in the two matches in question there were other decisions made that could be challenged.
The SFA are clearly taking their time in coming up with an answer that should be straightforward, surely the criteria for the Review Panel must be included in the SFA rulebook.
RE-RUNS
If a straightforward answer can’t be found we are entering murky water. Do referees watch re-runs of their matches to see if they missed an incident that should have been punished?
Are televised games given extra scrutiny with the extra cameras?
Celtic have been waiting over a month for answers, interestingly the club clearly feels that other recent incidents are escaping the Review Panel.
Celtic’s statement said: “We still do not understand the procedure by which Glenn Loovens and Scott McDonald were referred for review and other similar incidents in recent months have not been. The process seems to be disparate and arbitrary.
“Our objective is to ensure that these processes are applied fairly, consistently and in a transparent manner, for the benefit of all clubs and players.
“We will continue to pursue this objective and look forward to hearing from the SFA shortly.”
MYSTERY
The SFA have plenty of problems to deal with not of their making, the mystery surrounding the Loovens and McDonald incidents have been created by themselves, only the SFA can answer the questions raised by Celtic.
Tomorrow’s Celtic-Motherwell game will be refereed by Chris Boyle, a new name to me who has only refereed two SPL games this season and has never before handled a Celtic match.
After today’s Celtic statement and the incidents at the Rangers-Celtic match a fortnight ago Boyle will find himself under intense scrutiny with every decision.
A good referee is one that gets through a match without being noticed, happy to stay in the background and let the players take centre-stage.
Recent events suggest that Boyle will have to have the performance of his life to get through tomorrow’s match without being involved in further controversy.
The SFA have replied to Celtic’s request by saying that they will reply in due course, whenever that is.