IT’S RULES ROULETTE
SFA’s double standards are ludicrous. They apply the laws when it suits them and the review process smacks of an old boys’ club. It’s not justice...
IT’S no surprise the SFA ran to FIFA to ask them to clarify the rules as it’s clear they don’t have much of a clue these days.
The decision to charge Steve Clarke this week is yet another mystifying move by the folk running the Scottish game.
The Kilmarnock manager got done for questioning the judicial panel process after Gary Dicker’s red card appeal was rejected but I couldn’t see a single thing wrong with what he said.
Don’t get me wrong, I actually can see why Dicker was a red.
But that’s not the problem here. It’s the inconsistency and the SFA have been all over the shop this season.
Clarke gets hammered under Rule 72 for comments that “indicate bias or incompetence of a match official” and he was also hit for bringing the game into disrepute.
But I’d like to know how he can get clobbered for his calm and reasoned response – yet there wasn’t a peep from the beaks about Steven Gerrard after he practically inferred there was a long-standing refereeing conspiracy against Rangers.
The new Ibrox boss was at it again when he blamed the officials for losing to Celtic a fortnight ago and still nothing.
It just smacks of double standards. Derek McInnes slammed the panel this week as well – he came out and called them incompetent after the Mikey Devlin appeal was incredibly rejected. Is he also going to get done?
Neil Lennon got slapped with a three-game ban for doing an aeroplane impression but it’s okay to question the integrity of match officials? It’s ludicrous.
It’s not even just this season. Last term Brendan Rodgers questioned whether Scottish referees even knew the rules.
You don’t want to see managers punished for speaking their minds at all but there has to be some clear thinking from the authorities.
They seem to apply the rules when it suits them. That’s if they even know the rules. It seems they aren’t so sure any more after reading yesterday’s story in Record Sport.
The SFA have been on to the IFAB branch of FIFA who set the rules to ask if they have been applying the guidelines properly to instances such as the kick-outs by Allan McGregor, Steven Naismith and Alfredo Morelos.
Is this not something they should have been checking before the start of the season?
That says to me they don’t know what they are doing. You can’t tell me FIFA instructed the football associations around the world to let players off with lashing out in
off-the-ball incidents. No chance. The SFA dug themselves a hole on this with the Morelos appeal decision and instead of putting the shovel down they have just kept digging.
Questions have to be asked about this judicial panel of ex-referees. Just how independent can they be?
Clarke said it himself when he pointed to the fact Willie Collum was handed the Old Firm game so there was no chance he’d see one of his red card decisions overturned that week.
He’s been punished for saying what everyone thinks. The whole process smacks of an old boys’ club with refs and ex-refs looking out for each other.
The officials have made a shambolic start to the season and we can only hope they’ve used the international break to have a long, hard look at themselves – and the rule book.
Hopefully they’ll be on their game as we now get back to domestic business.
Celtic need to hit the ground running ahead of their Europa League group opener at home to Rosenborg next week.
It’s not the competition they wanted to be in but I like the look of the group and it’s a tournament everyone should take seriously.
It’s not an easy section with RB Leipzig in there but Rosenborg should be viewed as an opportunity to win six points.
Getting three on the board against St Mirren tonight is the first priority and if we’re talking about making incomprehensible decisions then the Paisley board are not far behind. Sacking Alan Stubbs after just four league games was a shocking move and if Oran Kearney impressed them in the summer why didn’t they appoint him in the first place?
I know Stubbs might have ruffled a few feathers in the dressing room but when the board are demanding he finishes in the top six, he knew he had to bring in better players.
Kearney has already had to backtrack after his bizarre claim about winning the title but he’ll have his work cut out if his directors want a top-six finish.
St Mirren’s target this year should be ending up above Hamilton, Livingston and Dundee.
Kearney could be an excellent boss but he’s a major gamble as they’ve binned an experienced manager for a guy who was in part-time football. Looks like it’s not just the SFA who leave people scratching
their heads.