Sportscene likes to stir up controversy between its pundits, even when they are boring and predictable.
Celtic’s 4-1 win at Motherwell took the spotlight away from Neil Lennon but Andrew Dallas gave the BBC show an obvious talking point.
In full view of the match referee Devante Cole stamped his studs into the left thigh of Jeremie Frimpong with Marvin Bartley and Michael Stewart both calling it out for exactly what it was.
Stewart and Bartley have both been out on the pitch, taking and handing out the hard tackles and knowing when a definite line has been crossed.
There was absolutely no excuse for Cole. The ball didn’t suddenly change direction, Frimpong and his own movement was very consistent when the Motherwell striker decided to bring the move to a halt by stamping on his opponents thigh.
Stewart appearing on Sunday Sportscene BBC Scotland (19:38) said:
No, there’s no chance, it was a red card all day long. The ball never moves off the line; it’s not as if Devante Cole is going for the ball and it moves. He just goes straight into Frimpong, that is a red card all day long. I think Stephen Robinson’s being, I don’t see how you can look at that from Stephen Robinson’s perspective (and say it’s not a red).
Bartley added:
Frimpong’s obviously going to have a scan on it and see the extent of the damage but, as Mikey’s saying, it’s a red card. I know Stephen Robinson is trying to protect his player, but there’s an action as well. I don’t get the studding action. It’s so high, and it’s far too dangerous to be doing that.
Frimpong played on for 15 minutes before being replaced by Hatem Abd Elhamed, after the match Neil Lennon admitted that he is concerned that Frimpong has suffered ligament damage.
