Craig Thomson and Graham Chambers have been dropped from the Celtic v Dundee United Scottish Cup replay next Wednesday.
The bungling duo were at the centre of a number of baffling decisions in Sunday’s cup tie with both clubs appealing against red cards issued in the match.
Calum Murray will referee the match assisted by Andrew McWilliam and Frank Connor.
SFA convention ensures that the officials involved in a cup tie also officiate at the replay unless exceptional circumstances are involved.
With appeals over the red cards given to Virgil van Dijk and Paul Paton being heard tomorrow, and Nadir Ciftci given a two match ban, it’s been decided that putting Thomson in charge again is too much of a risk.
The fall out from Thomson’s disastrous handling of the match continued yesterday with the mistaken identity case of Paton and Calum Butcher forcing Celtic into issuing a highly critical statement.
It read: “CELTIC Football Club notes that no action appears to have been taken in relation to Calum Butcher of Dundee United.
“It seems completely illogical and fundamentally unfair that, in an incident where mistaken identity has been claimed, the Dundee United player now identified clearly as being involved in the incident appears to have no case to answer – and would be available to play in the League Cup final and the Scottish Cup replay between the two teams – while Celtic’s player may potentially miss both of those matches.
“Celtic Football Club and Virgil van Dijk maintain their position that no red card offence was committed by Virgil.
“Virgil will appear at Hampden to put his case on Thursday and we will fully support him in this appeal.”
Bobby Madden will referee Sunday’s League Cup Final between Celtic and Dundee United.
