The SFA has given the Ibrox Covidiots the green light to continue playing after token club discipline following an exercise in marking their own homework.
Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude and Bongani Zungu were caught at a house party in the early hours of February 14 and issued with Fixed Penalties.
It took the Ibrox club four days to name the offenders following an internal investigation but so far there hasn’t been a comment from the SFA or SPFL.
Earlier this season Aberdeen and Celtic had matches postponed and players suspended for breaches of protocol but it seems that far more lenient rules apply to issues relating to Ibrox.
The Daily Record reports:
Shamed Rangers trio Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey and Bongani Zungu could all be free to face Livingston next week despite being fined by cops for a recent high-profile rule breach.
And Patterson is even available Mzungu for Thursday’s Europa League showdown against Antwerp after being allowed back with the squad.
The three players issued grovelling apologies on the club’s internal media platform after being banished into self-isolation for attending an illegal house party this month.
But there has been no suggestion yet from Rangers bosses they will now face a suspension from Steven Gerrard’s Auchenhowie HQ – despite Jordan Jones and George Edmundson previously being punished with two-week bans for being involved in a similar late night incident at a flat in Glasgow’s west end. They were later further hammered with seven game suspensions after being charged by the SFA’s compliance officer
Record Sport understands Patterson, Bassey and Zungu will also be punished by the disciplinary chiefs but – as their cases cannot be fast-tracked – all three could be available for next week’s trip to Livi. That means Patterson could even be in line for a starting place, with first choice right-back James Tavernier still missing.
With Tav suffering a sore knee last week against Antwerp the non-action against Patterson from the SFA is very convenient.
When Jones and Edmundson were given Fixed Penalties the SFA issued charges two days later that led to seven match suspensions.