Why Celtic And Others Should Be Very Concerned By Alloa’s Appeal Strategy.

The press reports today that Alloa are set to lean on a “dossier” by former SFA referees as part of their strategy to win the appeal against the red card being issued, after the fact, to the player who has put Ideguchi on the injury list.

It is a grossly irresponsible strategy, a win-at-all-costs disgrace that would license tackles just like it.

Ange is right; at the start of every season managers and players are reminded of what to expect should footballers make challenges like these … if former refs are saying that this is okay then something has gone far, far wrong with the system.

And that should worry clubs other than Celtic, because if those challenges are permitted then I would suggest that anything goes out on the pitch. Do we really want an SFA appeals panel to rule that a challenge like that is okay, with the rubber stump of former officials? That is surely dangerous, and not only to our players but to all players.

Who are these guys anyway? Who makes up this list?

Are these people Ferguson knows from the Ibrox after-dinner speaking circuit? Are we going to find that Mike McCurry and Jeff Winter are on this list? And is that okay with people at the governing body?

The SFA also needs to tells us if these referees are amongst those who already sit on the appeal panel; that would be even more concerning. If they were to suggest that a thuggish challenge like this is perfectly okay, then Scottish football really does have problems.

I really can’t understand why the press would think that this is okay.

Ferguson sent his players out to do damage. He should own that outcome.

He got what he wanted from it.

Today he’s in the papers bumming up Ibrox’s new signing; this guy should be focussing on his own club and the job his football employers pay him to do instead of doing PR for them.

Nobody has to tell us how Ferguson and his sidekick Malcolm feel about our club, but this surely now goes beyond our club.

In defending that challenge, he is defending brutality on the football pitch and if he has actually found ex-Scottish officials to back that position then God help the lot of us, and even worse if the SFA panel ends up agreeing with them.