It is one of the most infuriating rules in football and one that is applied very selectively.
Yesterday Mikey Johnston was an offender, 24 hours earlier Dario del Fabro of Hibs broke the rule much more obviously and escaped any punishment.
3 minutes 12 seconds.
Johnston was a 72nd minute substitute for Celtic away to Ross County, within a minute he was racing in on goal at full pelt and scoring from six yards out as he angled his shot around goalkeeper Nathan Baxter.
At the County Ground there is at best five yards between the touchline and the front row of the stand, after his run at goal Johnston would have defied physics to have stopped his run from ending being pressed against the front row of supporters.
Nick Walsh booked him.
4 minutes 15 seconds
At Easter Road Kilmarnock were trailing 2-1 with the match well into stoppage time when Stephen O’Donnell sent a low cross into the goal-mouth.
Del Fabro saw his moment and steered his shot into the corner of the net to earn Killie a draw. Instantly he ran from his position around the penalty spot towards the 18 yard line, realising that he was a little lonely he then turned and ran 20 yards to go off the pitch to celebrate with the Kilmarnock supporters.
Kevin Clancy failed to book the Kilmarnock scorer.
Could anyone explain why Mikey Johnston was booked for running the three yards over to the crowd to celebrate while Kilmarnock’s Del Fabro wasn’t, despite having to jump over advertising hoardings to do so?
The colour of his jersey is not an acceptable – though probable – answer. pic.twitter.com/6g1iliRA8l— Nick (@nicksaxtweets) December 1, 2019
It may seem a trivial matter but Johnston could have picked up another booking in the remaining 20 minutes and been suspended for the game against Hamilton.
Last season at Kilmarnock Bobby Madden gave Scott Brown a second yellow for celebrating a last minute winner at Rugby Park, Brown missed the next match.
On Sunday Clancy will be the fourth official at the League Cup Final which is a strong hint that he will referee the December 29 Glasgow derby.
Powerless Peter won’t take the SFA on over the most serious issue that Celtic have faced in the last decade.https://t.co/oc0xfQCkz2
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) December 2, 2019
