SCOTLAND’S FIGHT CLUB

Wright insists that TV blackout will not lead to Saints whitewash

TOMMY WRIGHT has insisted the brawl between St Johnstone teammates Richard Foster and Danny Swanson will not be swept under the carpet despite television cameras failing to capture the astonishing incident.

After the shameful scenes at halftime in Hamilton on Saturday, which left the Perth side down to nine men on their way to a 1-0 defeat, Saints boss Wright warned the pair that the club would ‘come down on them as hard as we possibly can, legally.’

It has been alleged that Foster struck Swanson, who retaliated with a kick. But, unusually, there is not even mobile-phone footage of the scrap that ended with both players sent off during the interval.

Wright vowed, though, that there will be no whitewash and no stone left unturned as the club investigates the bust-up at the Superseal Stadium.

‘We are aware there is no footage of what happened, but that doesn’t hinder having a proper investigation,’ he said. ‘It won’t be swept under the carpet.

‘Just because there is no video footage doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do. We don’t need video evidence to make a decision. Every source of information available to us will be used.

‘The players’ evidence will be very much part of that. We will also get the referee’s report and go through that, so there are various things we have to see.

‘That investigation has now started, so I am limited in what I can say. But once it is concluded, a decision will be made and we will draw a line under it.’

Foster and Swanson were immediately suspended by the club and did not join their team-mates in training at McDiarmid Park yesterday.

Wright believes that Saints handled a difficult incident in the correct manner and he promised a just outcome, vowing: ‘It will be dealt with fairly. The club did the right thing dealing with it swiftly like we did and (suspending them) has also given the players some breathing space.

‘To do that while we investigate was the right decision and the fairest thing all round.

‘The initial interviews will be conducted by me and then I’ll speak to the board.

‘There is a proper process, so we will have to let that take its course before a decision is made on what punishment we will hand out.’

After the fight, a melee broke out on the park that saw Hamilton assistant Guillaume Beuzelin sent to the stands and Accies attacker Ali Crawford and Saints midfielder Paul Paton booked.

Hamilton’s Darian MacKinnon claimed afterwards that Wright bumped into him at the start of the second half in a bid to get the midfielder ‘into trouble’.

But Wright poured scorn on that claim and accused MacKinnon of having a short memory.

‘Darian is a lovely lad, but his comments are totally wrong,’ he said. ‘I don’t see how someone standing still in the technical area with their hands in their pockets can bump into anyone.

‘I think I would have been defying the laws of physics for that to have happened.

‘I know what happened. The match delegate saw it. He was the first person to speak to me after the game and mentioned it because he knew what happened as well.

‘The fourth official and my staff saw it, too.

‘Maybe Darian should reflect on his comments because what he says happened with me definitely didn’t happen.

‘Darian has said a lot of things about this incident, like other people at Hamilton have done.

‘The incident was under control.’