Ian Maxwell probably thinks that he has ‘taken ownership’ to use management speak of the James Keatings problem and came up with a solution.
The Chief Executive has taken the heat off the SFA on one issue but in reality he has opened up a can of worms. All the suspicions about how SFA justice operates have been confirmed with the trail leading straight to Maxwell and Compliance Officer Clare Whyte.
Just before 2pm today the SFA came out with a lengthy statement but one sentence stood out.
Specifically, one of the panel members has advised that, despite raising no concerns throughout the process, they did not undertake their obligations with respect to the consideration of all the available evidence.
What was ALL the evidence? Over a million people have watched the 20 second video clip, it was clear cut. No fancy angles or slo-mo clips were required.
?? Inverness Caledonian Thistle are “incredulous and furious” at the decision not to overturn the red card that will rule James Keatings out of the Scottish Challenge Cup final.
? @bbcalba pic.twitter.com/PdI6wVApxc
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) February 19, 2020
Amazingly the appeal went against Keatings by 2-1.
Included among the pool of ‘talents’ that the SFA call on is someone who can’t watch a 20 second video clip and someone who viewed all the evidence and agreed with referee Greg Aitken that Keatings had dived.
The name of those panel members will be kept secret, something that the SFA specialise in.
There are two bigger questions. What other panels have these people been on and who decided that they should be involved with football justice?
Celtic have been on the end of numerous bizarre decisions over recent years. Ryan Christie was suspended for two matches due to ‘An act of brutality’, on Friday the club was fined £4,000 for failing to control players against Partick Thistle while Jon Flanagan was ‘correctly’ only booked last season for smashing his elbow into Scott Brown’s face.
Last season match referee’s missed red card incidents involving Scott McKenna, Dolly Menga, Steven McLean, Ryan Kent and Darnell Johnson against Celtic.
With that level of incompetence inside the game Peter Lawwell’s trust in the SFA to deliver justice on the issue of the 2011 UEFA licence becomes even more baffling.
With the @jameskeatings video doing the rounds and proving yet again the sfa and their referees are useless. A wee reminder a hearts player got booked for this ?? pic.twitter.com/iGJd2YeNvl
— Pep Nipz (@leemckenzie1) February 20, 2020
