SFA hearing date ‘bang out of order’, claims Hibs boss

HIBS boss Neil Lennon last night called on the SFA to bring forward his disciplinary hearing to avoid the prospect of an ‘unfair’ Scottish Cup semi-final ban. He felt ‘vindicated’ yesterday after skipper Darren McGregor’s red card for confronting Morton’s Kudus Oyenuga was downgraded to yellow. But a hearing into the chaotic scenes, which saw Lennon and Cappielow rival Jim Duffy having to be pulled apart, doesn’t take place until April 20, just two days before the last-four clash with Aberdeen at Hampden. Urging the SFA to speed up the process, Lennon said: ‘I’m not happy with the date. I don’t understand why it can’t be done now, or on Monday or Tuesday. ‘I will look to get it delayed because if it’s on a Thursday before a semifinal and they deem me guilty of something — whatever that is — then I miss the semi-final. ‘And I think that’s totally unfair. Bang out of order. The semi-final is very important for this club. ‘If I’m not allowed to do my job for something I feel unjustifiably punished for, I will not be happy. ‘Why is it delayed to the 20th? The players have been dealt with, so why can’t we be dealt with? ‘When I was at Celtic I got sent off at Tynecastle — rightly so — around October time for remonstrating with the referee. ‘It was two months before Christmas and the hearing wasn’t until February or March and I ended up missing the League Cup final. ‘I was sat in the stand against Rangers because, for some reason, the process took months. ‘Well, if that’s the case we can wait until next season and do it then.’ Lennon was unhappy the SFA deemed Oyenuga had no case to answer after he fell to the ground following the confrontation with McGregor. He added: ‘If he (the compliance officer) thinks there wasn’t enough evidence to punish the lad for what he did, then who am I to argue? I was told the SFA were clamping down on (players) conning referees and feigning injury but it doesn’t seem to be the case. ‘I’m not accusing this kid now, because he’s been cleared, but I know what I saw. So I think I need to go to Specsavers because I can’t see from two yards away. ‘Of course I’m pleased Darren McGregor got his red card rescinded. It’s totally justified.’