Wallace and Miller win appeal against Rangers
● Rangers ‘disappointed’ with verdict and critical of the way that it was leaked
Kenny Miller and Lee Wallace have won their appeal against the way they were punished by Rangers following an alleged incident after the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Celtic last season.
The two players were fined and suspended after what was reported as a dressing-room bust-up with the then Ibrox manager Graeme Murty in the aftermath of the 4-0 defeat at Hampden in April.
The Scottish Professional Football League is understood to have upheld the appeal by Wallace, who is still at Rangers, and Miller, who is now with Dundee.
Rangers issued a statement last night to say they were “surprised” at the decision and “disappointed” with the way it had been leaked.
Wallace, then the club captain, was fined four weeks’ wages – the maximum penalty – while Miller was told to pay back half of his final Rangers wage packet. Wallace, who missed the semi-final through injury, was alleged to have unleashed an angry outburst at Murty. Miller, an unused substitute at Hampden, reportedly launched a stinging criticism of Murty’s approach to the game.
Club chiefs felt the duo had gone too far and, following negotiations with managing director Stewart Robertson and the club’s human resources department, made the decision to suspend both players on full pay.
However, both Miller and Wallace denied they had overstepped the mark and enlisted the help of the players’ union, PFA Scotland, to contest the punishment.
Rangers’ statement said: “The club is surprised by the decision of the SPFL’S Tribunal on this matter and disappointed that the decision seems to have been leaked before the club were advised of it by the SPFL.
“Decisions on such matters deal largely with procedural issues, not the conduct which gave rise to the club’s sanctions.
“The club was only presented with a 40-plus page decision after 4 o’clock this afternoon and will now take some time to consider matters before deciding how to proceed.”