Courts insists Butcher tackle was not malicious

Tam Courts has defended suspended Dundee United star Calum Butcher amid “furore” over his tackle on Celtic ace David Turnbull.

Butcher is banned for three games after he was red-carded retrospectively by the SFA for a tackle on Turnbull in Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Celtic.

United chose not to challenge the decision, and Butcher will miss games with Livingston, Rangers and Hibernian.

Replays of the incident were shared across social media.

Celtic didn’t make an issue of the incident but Butcher was condemned by media pundits. Former Dundee and Rangers star Neil Mccann claimed it was “a leg breaker”.

Courts accepts the challenge was worthy of a red card, but insists Butcher did not set out to harm Turnbull.

“The general feeling internally was that the decision was almost already taken,” said Courts as he set out United’s reasons for accepting the ban.

“There was such a furore around the tackle.

“When you play against one of the two Glasgow teams and the match is on TV, people have quite a substantial opinion.

“I’d like to be clear. The last thing Calum Butcher would ever want to do is endanger a player.

“As much as Butcher is a physical player, he’s not a player who looks to go out and harm opponents.

“In terms of the isolated incident we never want to see any player endangered on the pitch.

“These days players are so fit and so fast. They are naturally going to come together.

“But the last thing we want to see is anyone endangered on the pitch.

“It’s frustrating for Butcher that he is going to now miss a further three games.

“We need to protect him a bit.

“There has been a lot of online and punditry opinion.

“For as much as he is a competitive player, I don’t think he would knowingly and willingly injure another professional – particularly a talented young Scotland international like David Turnbull.

“I can understand why endangering an opponent has been looked at retrospectively, but I think the retrospective process can be quite flawed.

“It needs to be consistent. “We need to consider how you can bring a tackle to the attention of the appropriate body.

“It’s the consistency that is a little bit flawed.

“But in terms of endangering an opponent and where we felt the process was at, it was not something we wanted to challenge.”