Ibrox club to lodge formal complaint over Collum

Rangers will make a formal complaint over referee Willie Collum after losing their appeal against the second yellow card Daniel Candeias received against St Mirren.

The Ibrox club have called for a review of the Scottish Football Association appeals process after failing to get the winger’s suspension overturned.

The 30-year-old was sent off by Collum soon after Rangers netted a second goal in stoppage-time. Footage showed Anton Ferdinand had been the aggressor in a clash with the Rangers player seconds earlier.

St Mirren goalkeeper Craig Samson later accused Candeias of being “disrespectful” in his celebrations by taunting Ferdinand moments earlier.

Yellow-card appeals are only permitted for simulation and in cases of mistaken identity under SFA rules, and Rangers appealed on the basis of the latter, although no other Rangers player was involved.

Rangers stated they were “extremely disappointed” with the appeal panel’s decision and questioned why Collum had been handed tonight’s game between Aberdeen and Hibernian while Candeias will sit out Sunday’s visit of Motherwell.

A club statement added: “Rangers afforded the governing body the opportunity to let common sense prevail and we are surprised they have chosen not to do so by correcting what was, and what remains, an inexplicable decision by the match referee, Willie Collum. Rangers shall now seek a fundamental review of the rules relating to red cards which result from two bookings of a player in a game.

“If one of these decisions is obviously wrong, it must be possible to correct that mistake. It is wrong that players’ livelihoods and careers can be impacted without the opportunity of redress, especially when the official responsible for the miscarriage of justice is allowed to continue as though beyond question or reproach.”