McGhee hit with SFA charge after match official bust up at Pittodrie

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has been hit with an SFA notice of complaint over his dismissal against Aberdeen.

He has been handed a misconduct charge after being sent to the stand during his team’s 7-2 thrashing at Pittodrie last week.

The charge alleges that McGhee “used offensive, abusing and/or insulting language and gestures” and “adopted aggressive behaviour” towards a match official.

He was sent off by referee Alan Muir on the advice of fourth official JohnMcKendrick. The Motherwell boss declared himself “absolutely disgusted and horrified” by the latter’s attitude.

The 59-year-old could still face another charge over his post-match comments as each incident is treated separately by SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan.

McGhee accused McKendrick after the game of having an “agenda”, language which is highly likely to have alerted McGlennan. The former Aberdeen manager would first be asked to explain his words should the compliance officer decide they were potentially in breach of SFA regulations.

McGhee said of McKendrick: “Before a ball was kicked, he was causing issues that didn’t exist. I can only think there is an agenda.”

The Scotland assistant manager has been given seven days to respond to the initial charge with a hearing pencilled in for March 16.

McGhee has already served a two-match ban this season for using offensive language against referee John Beaton and a steward following Motherwell’s defeat at Dundee in October, when the Lanarkshire side felt they were denied a clear goal.

That punishment included a suspended one-game ban which would be triggered in addition to any punishment McGhee receives if he admits or is found guilty of the latest charge.

Mark McGhee is facing his second SFA charge of the season.