Gordon Smith warns SFA could be asked to review cases going back a number of years
Wednesday 22 April 2015 18:16, UK
Gordon Smith believes the Scottish Football Association could face calls to look at incidents going back a number of years after they banned Inverness defender Josh Meekings for one match following his handball at Hampden.
Meekings was ruled out of the Scottish Cup final against Falkirk, subject to appeal, after he denied Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths a goalscoring chance by keeping out his goalbound header with his arm during their 3-2 extra-time victory on Sunday.
But former Rangers and Kilmarnock striker Smith, who was chief executive of the SFA from 2007 to 2010, says the decision is 'astonishing' claiming clubs could now be looking to have refereeing blunders revisited the governing body.
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ he said: "It's quite astonishing and most people are pretty shocked by it.
"I was at John Hartson's charity function last night and everyone there were saying just how surprised they were about the decision to retrospectively punish the player who handled the ball.
"It hit his arm, but it's not wheteher you think it's deliberate or not, the question is should it be judged upon retrospectively?"
Asked if Celtic had a case following their request for an explanation of the referee's part in the incident, Smith added: "I don't think the SFA should be reacting to that. I know Celtic are the biggest club in the Premiership at the moment but the thing is what happens in the future now?
"Every time somebody has a decision that didn't go their way are they going to demand an explanation, when really you are just saying the referee didn't get it right. Do the SFA now have to give an explanation to every single wrong decision?
'Evidence'
"(at the SFA) I brought in retrospective punishment for simulation. I felt that had to be dealt with but this is a first and I think that this will cause a lot more problems.
"Does it now mean that they will be looking at every challenge and saying that if a player commits a foul it is only when you look at the TV evidence and say that should have been a penalty?
"So I think that gives a problem with that because you are going to have a lot of incidents and you're going to have to look back over recent years, even this season there will be incidents where people are saying why wasn't this player punished because this is a first to punish someone in this manner.
"And also it is a bit harsh on the basis that Inverness got through and this player is going to miss playing in a cup final because of it."
And Smith believes Meekings has little chance of having his ban overturned when he appears before the SFA at Hampden Park this Thursday.
"It's difficult to say whether the SFA think this is something they will take forward but what appeal does he have? He has handled the ball.
"His appeal may be that it just hit him on the hand and it is not deliberate, so does that take away from the fact his arm was in a position whereby they normally say unless your arms are down by your side that that's ok.
"But if your arm is in an unusual position then that is a penalty kick even if it's not deliberate. So the thing about it is what case does the player have? I just think it is a bit harsh as it is a first that a player has been punished for this in the football sense."
Refereee Steven McLean, who has been widely criticised since the incident, has been removed from matches this weekend and appointed fourth official at Hamilton's local derby with Motherwell at New Douglas Park on Friday.
Asked if it would be wise not to give McLean any more matches involving Celtic in the near future, Smith said: “That would be down to the refereeing department and I always went along with what they would think.
“But then if you don’t give him any Celtic games you are also going down the line to try and suggest the fact he’s not capable of refereeing Celtic games, and that actually is a bad factor too.
“I think in that respect he might be missing a short while, but you wouldn’t say he cannot referee a Celtic game in future, because you are more or less indicating there’s a bias in terms of how he is refereeing.”
'Embarrassment'
And former Celtic striker and Sky Sports pundit Andy Walker agreed with Smith's 'astonishing' claim, adding that Sunday's incident is just the latest in a catalogue of howlers from officials.
Speaking at John Hartson's Golf Foundation Day at Mar Hall in Bishopton, he said: "The amount of astonishing blunders that I have seen this season from Scottish referees I think is the real story.
"It's not about why Celtic didn't get a penalty, albeit a remarkable decision that apparently six officials missed. One of the most blatant decisions you will ever witness.
"But in terms of Celtic's approach, I go to games pretty much every week and I could make a case for Motherwell, St Mirren, Hibs, Hearts anyone, some of the astonishing decisions that have been given by referees this season.
"And, for me, the real story is the appalling fall in standards of referees in Scotland which I think is a constant embarrassment."
FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce echoed the views of Smith and believes the SFA should have taken action against the match officials, not Meekings.
“Personally I think it’s crazy, I agree with everything Gordon has said,” he told Sky Sports News HQ.
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“In this particular game you had the referee, assistant referee, fourth official and someone behind the goals. None of them brought the referee’s attention to anything that happened. The officials on the pitch are in charge of the game and quite honestly I think that should be the end of the matter.
“If the referees’ committee in the Scottish Football Association felt that the officials in this particular occasion handled the situation wrongly then they have to take action against those officials in the future.
“To suspend a player, personally I think is very wrong and creating a very dangerous precedent.”
