IS THIS STITCH-UP TO COST CELTS 10 IN A ROW
FROM BACK PAGE last Saturday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox.
Former Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson has also waded into the row by insisting the decision not to drag Morelos into the dock for a review of clashes with Scott Brown, Ryan Christie and Anthony Ralston as a “victory for common sense”.
But Sutton said: “A friend called yesterday after the decision was announced and said, ‘I know there are all these conspiracies in Scottish football, but letting Morelos off just makes it looks like the SFA want Rangers to win the league’.
“I had no answer to him. What could I say? That’s exactly what it looks like. This ridiculous non-decision leaves the SFA wide open to accusations of corruption. They’ve also made Scottish football look like a stitch-up.
“If they had applied the rules correctly El Buffalo would have been on the end of three separate red cards.
“That means three bans, six games, or even more if they pushed him through the disciplinary points threshold. But again it looks like the SFA have bottled it.
“They know there would have been a huge outcry from Ibrox but if that’s the reason John Beaton has stuck to his guns then it’s either cowardice or corruption, take your pick.”
But Ferguson is adamant the beaks got it right.
He said: “We’re talking about an Old Firm match here. This isn’t the final of Strictly Come Dancing. It’s 22 professional footballers going into a cauldron and fighting for three points as if their lives depend on it.
“If you’re going to start hauling players over the coals retrospectively for incidents like that then you’ll end up suspending 10 or 15 players after every derby.
“It’s a ridiculous overreaction and what worries me is Morelos now appears to have been singled out for closer scrutiny.
“It’s not often I find myself in total agreement with the powers that be but giving Morelos the all-clear was a victory for common sense.”