McCann banned for two games
Clark gets same punishment for role in clash
DUNDEE boss Neil McCann and St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark were last night handed two-match bans following their extraordinary touchline bust-up at Dens Park.
McCann was accused of slapping Clark following a dispute with Saints kitman Manny Fowler at the end of the Tayside club’s 4-0 home defeat to the Perth side on March 10.
The ugly scenes continued in the tunnel after McCann and assistant Graham Gartland were angered by Saints boss Tommy Wright’s celebrations in front of his own team’s fans.
Wright later described Dundee’s behaviour as ‘a throwback to when I played in a pub team’ and insisted: ‘There was certainly no blame attached to us.’
The St Johnstone boss was adamant that video footage would prove his side had ‘behaved impeccably’.
But both McCann and Clark were subsequently charged with ‘excessive misconduct’ by the SFA following the confrontation.
Former Rangers and Scotland star McCann, who appeared in person before the SFA disciplinary board yesterday, denied slapping Clark and claimed his hand had caught him as he tried to free himself from the unused substitute’s grip.
Speaking immediately after the game, he had said: ‘I thought I was controlled during the match but I’ve gone over, words were exchanged and one of their players has put their hand on me and wouldn’t let go.
‘I asked him to let go and he wouldn’t. It took me a wee bit of time to calm down and walk away.’
The Dark Blues manager was banned for two matches and will be in the stands for the home match against Hearts on Sunday and for the trip next midweek to face leaders Celtic.
McCann, whose side sit precariously three points above the relegation play-off place, will be back in the dugout for Dundee’s second visit to Glasgow in three days when they face Rangers on Saturday, April 7.
Goalkeeper Clark, who received the same punishment, will miss his side’s trip to Aberdeen tomorrow followed by the visit of Motherwell on April 7.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen director Duncan Skinner has received a ‘reprimand’ in the second part of his disciplinary process after he admitted gambling on almost 1,500 matches over the course of several seasons.
Skinner admitted the rule breaches at a previous hearing on December 28 when he was fined £1,000, claiming he did not realise the SFA ban on betting on matches applied to him as a non-executive director.
The judicial panel reassessed the case after three months, after Aberdeen promised to carry out an internal review and make sure all affected employees were aware of the rules.
Skinner, who works in the oil and gas industry, was accused of betting against Derek McInnes’ team when they visited Celtic Park last season on February 1. The Dons lost the match 1-0.