No sooner had I pressed “publish” on my last article but the central question at the core of it was answered, and there was no fudge whatsoever. Allan McGregor has been cleared of kicking Kristofer Ajer, although we watched it happen on TV.
The BBC, who were already questioning whether or not what we all saw happen actually did, have reported that three senior officials are consulted about these matters and that a unanimous vote has to pass before one is taken forward … and the three could not all agree that his clear-cut kick at our footballer constituted violent conduct.
This is the kind of decision that leaves you reeling.
It is licensed thuggery, with the SFA stamp (pun intended) of approval on it.
At a time like this words really cannot properly convey the absolute absurdity of the moment. A Celtic player is left writhing in agony on the ground via a savage lunge that takes place off the ball, and which every person watching knew was a sending off had the ref seen it, and yet three refs on a panel cannot reach a unanimous verdict on it.
That stinks. What in God’s name is going on at the SFA?
Listen, I am willing to accept that certain incidents fall into a grey area – I don’t believe, by the way, that Morelos’ was one of them – but this is as simple and straightforward as you will get. Even I did not believe the matter would be glossed over in such a brazen fashion; at the very least it’s a retrospective yellow, which because of his yellow in the game means a ban … for the SFA to come to this conclusion is really quite incredible.
Of all the decisions I’ve heard of from that body, this is the worst for years.
Everyone saw this. It’s been replayed over and over again.
There is no defence for it … and today, courtesy of the beaks at Hampden, there’s also no case to answer.
Disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful.
That does not bring the game into disrepute as much as it makes it a laughing stock.
That position is untenable; we now have a disciplinary system here in Scotland where anything goes … cause if that’s not a red card (or even a booking) you really have to wonder what is.