Ryan Christie’s appeal against a two match SFA ban will be heard at Hampden today but there is a far bigger issue going on in the background.
The incident involving the midfielder occurred nine days ago but the elephant in the room dates back to September 2017 while someone would suggest tracking back to April 2011.
When it suits them the SFA can certainly fast-track, equally they are adept at booting anything unpleasant and challenging deep into the long grass.
The issue of the 2011 UEFA licence now falls into the remit of Ian Maxwell and Clare Whyte. Neither were involved in the original decision but when they accepted the salary and perks of life at Hampden that issue was part of the package.
A diligent group of Celtic shareholders presented the SFA with clear evidence that the application from Alastair Johnston for the 2011/12 UEFA licence wasn’t accurate. Some might suggest an honest mistake, others something more sinister.
When witness after witness at the June 2017 Craig Whyte trial spoke under oath they confirmed that the overdue tax bill was known in November 2010- six months ahead of the application from Johnston.
In September 2017 former SFA chief Stewart Regan sent the matter to his Compliance Officer. More than two years later the SFA have still to take action on the matter, after their AGM in June 2019 Maxwell told The Sun ‘I wouldn’t want to put a timescale on it . . . but I don’t think we would let it go for ever’.
The 2011 licence issue potentially cost Celtic £20m, that was the increase that they had in turnover for the 2012/13 season when they did take part in the group stage of the Champions League.
After more than two years of shuffling paperwork and applying no pressure on the SFA it’s difficult to imagine Celtic going for the jugular today over Christie.
There are however some suggestions that Peter Lawwell has been made to feel uncomfortable with the matter in recent weeks. At the November AGM he claimed to have been speaking that morning to the guy at UEFA that made the decision. What decision that was is unknown.
Celtic fans will be studying today’s actions at Hampden very closely, letting the side down again isn’t really an option for a Chief Executive on the back of a Glasgow derby defeat watched live by 59,000 customers.
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