The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McCann denies slapping keeper
DERBY: Dark Blues boss caught up in post-match fracas after harrowing loss
Dundee manager Neil McCann will soon find out if there is any disciplinary fall-out from the post-match fracas at Dens Park on Saturday.
McCann has denied slapping St Johnstone’s substitute goalkeeper Zander Clark at the start of an incident that sparked off near the dug-outs and continued all the way up the tunnel.
Video and pictures show McCann’s hand at Clark’s face but the Dark Blues boss insists that it was part of his efforts to free himself from the keeper’s grip.
It was an ugly end to an ugly game for Dundee – but a glorious afternoon for the Perth men.
Tommy Wright, who described the tunnel part of the episode as a throwback to his pub league days, is confident that there will be no repercussions for his club.
McCann maintains that he had “recovered his composure” by the time he raised his hands. Whether or not SFA compliance officer Tony McGlennan agrees with him will soon become apparent.
“I was controlled during the match but I have gone over and words were exchanged,” said McCann.
“One of their players had his hands 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 from it. But when somebody puts their hands on you and you ask them to remove them and they don’t do it then it is hard just to back off of that.
“I put my hands up to grab Zander to say get his hands off me.
“Then I retracted them because I had started to regain my composure.”
When asked if he caught Clark’s face, McCann said: “Caught him in the face – because I have gone to grab him.
“The video can show what you want but there was no slap, punch or nothing like that. I put my hand up to say ‘let me go’ then I pulled it away because clearly that wasn’t the way to go.
“Maybe if my players had shown the same type of fight today then I wouldn’t have got that performance.”
Wright said: “It’s difficult when you lose a derby game and that’s the first one he (McCann) has lost. “I’ll let the TV pictures tell the story. “We’ve done nothing wrong. We don’t have a problem discipline wise in terms of staff. There was a bit at the end that the TV cameras didn’t catch but I’ll leave that for my book.
“I think he had an issue with Manny, the kit man. I’ve seen the referee and he’s happy with our behaviour. We’ve got nothing to be worried about.
“Waiting for us at the end was like a throwback to when I played in my pub team. But we kept our heads and behaved impeccably about it all.” Did it spill over into the tunnel? “It did a bit, aye,” added Wright. “But I’m here, aren’t I? There are no marks on me. There was a lot of shouting and a lot of threats – but I’m a big boy, I can look after myself.”
Wright had been involved in an argument with McCann’s assistant, ex-Saints defender Graham Gartland, and said: “I think the problem is when other members of staff get involved in things that they shouldn’t.”