Appeal against severity of ban

David Hopkin has revealed that Livingston have appealed against the eight-game ban dished out to midfielder Shaun Byrne for a breach of SFA gambling regulations.

The 23-year-old was hit with the suspension at a Hampden hearing last week after he admitted an infringement of disciplinary rules 22, 31 and 33 due to bets placed in the past six years.

Although Byrne did not contest the charge, the club have been taken aback by the severity of the punishment, which ordered he miss the club’s next five fixtures and imposed an additional suspended three-game ban that runs until summer 2018.

Byrne will now be available until the appeal is heard, with the former Dunfermline midfielder turning in a fine display in Livi’s win over Stenhousemuir on Tuesday.