Is SFA’s slap on the wrist a slap in the face for refs?
Lenient punishment for Celtic boss sends out all the wrong messages
IF Brendan Rodgers had been banned for next weekend’s pivotal Old Firm clash with Rangers, Celtic would have travelled to Ibrox with one hand tied behind their backs.
In the end, it didn’t materialise. Despite what looked to be an open-and-shut case, Rodgers escaped with little more than a slap on the wrists in the grand scheme of things.
The expectation was that he would be handed a two-game ban, possibly more if the SFA wished to make an example of the Celtic manager for those inflammatory post-match comments at Tynecastle.
After a 2-0 defeat to Hearts four weeks ago, Rodgers had accused officials Don Robertson and John Beaton of ‘incompetence’.
Nobody would dispute the fact there were some highly contentious decisions in the game. By common consent, the officials didn’t cover themselves in glory, especially with their use of VAR. It was another example of Scottish football continuing to tie itself in knots with the use of technology.
But as soon as a manager starts throwing around words like ‘incompetence’, they are asking for trouble. Despite his obvious frustrations, and a sense of grievance that was probably justified in terms of the dismissal of Yang Hyun-Jun, Rodgers overstepped the mark.
He’s in a position of authority and influence. Ultimately, it’s incumbent on him to choose his words more carefully and, certainly, not to namecheck officials, as he did with Beaton.
That was naughty. Beaton (pictured) and Celtic have had issues in the past.
Rodgers, inadvertently or not, did not need to encourage a pile-on in the cesspit that is social media. The Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association hit out at his comments, saying: ‘It has become too easy throughout the course of this season for managers and clubs to turn the focus — and resultant fan ire — on to match officials, often to deflect from team performance and results.
‘We fully appreciate the importance of matches, especially now as we head into the defining period of the season for the destiny of the championship, European and top-six places, as well as relegation and play-off matters.
‘Nonetheless, match officials should be able to carry out their duties without fear of them impacting their personal lives, their personal safety and the safety and security of their families.
‘It is regrettable that criticism, which we generally accept is a part of the game for players and coaches as well as referees, has become much involved in Scottish football has a responsibility to behave professionally and respectfully and to understand the consequences of their actions.’ When the referees’ union comes out publicly and makes a stand, the SFA really should have followed suit and supported their officials. In Scottish football, the standard punishment for any manager who implies incompetence on the part of any referee is a two-match ban. That’s the bare minimum.
After being charged with the same offence while in charge of Kilmarnock in 2019, Steve Clarke was handed a two-game ban, with one further game suspended.
Just a couple of months earlier, Gary Caldwell — then manager of Partick Thistle — was handed the same punishment for remarks about referee Andrew Dallas.
So, what are we to make of Rodgers’ punishment? A one-game ban, with one game suspended, meaning he will miss Sunday’s game at Livingston but will be free to take his place in the dugout at Ibrox next weekend.
For the SFA, the optics of this are poor. This has been made to look like a compromise.
Ultimately, they’ve come out of this looking weak. Celtic hired a top lawyer in Nick De Marco to fight Rodgers’ case. That’s their prerogative. It was always expected they would defend their manager vigorously.
But for a manager to use such inflammatory language about referees, then escape with a fairly lenient punishment, just looks incredibly soft from the SFA.
Last night, Celtic released a club statement which said: ‘Clearly, we are disappointed with the outcome of today’s hearing,
although we will accept the panel’s decision. The manager appeared at the hearing today, and his defence was presented robustly and thoroughly.
‘Like many other clubs, we will continue to press for the highest standards in relation to the VAR process in Scottish football.’
Disappointed with what, exactly? To have Rodgers free for the Rangers game represents a hugely positive outcome for Celtic. That statement was largely just posturing to fans. It is grandstanding. If Celtic were truly disappointed, they could choose to appeal the decision.
But they have chosen not to pursue the matter any further. Privately, the club and Rodgers will be absolutely delighted at this outcome.
They have claimed a moral victory over the SFA. By hiring a top lawyer, Celtic went into yesterday’s hearing with the sole intention of making sure Rodgers was free for the Old Firm clash.
They had one clear objective — and succeeded. The SFA had a chance to take a strong stance and support their referees, but failed.
Nobody would dispute that Scottish football still has some huge problems with its implementation of VAR.
The technology still causes problems on a weekly basis and has managers tearing their hair out at perceived injustices.
That’s all beyond question. But a few dodgy decisions don’t give managers carte blanche to slaughter referees or to make it personal, as Rodgers did with Beaton. Rodgers has been in Scottish football long enough to know how these things work. He knows how the lunatic fringe pounce with these things.
In the end, his punishment looks no more than a minor slap on the wrists. A compromise, meaning he’ll be free for Celtic’s biggest game of the season.