Celtic news: Ex-Premier League referee issues SFA demand after Ideguchi controversy twist
Keith Hackett has called on the SFA to be more transparent about the decision to hand Mouhamed Niang a two-game ban for a tackle he made in Alloa Athletic’s 2-1 defeat to Celtic last weekend (22 January).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee questioned why a panel needed to intervene and why they upgraded the original yellow card.
As relayed by Daily Record on Friday (28 January) a three-person panel had reviewed Niang’s challenge on Yosuke Ideguchi that forced him off with an injury.
Ideguchi’s ankle complaint meant Celtic have been without him for their last two games.
“There’s a number of questions I want to ask,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“Are we aware of the criteria that must be met for a panel to come in? Who stimulates the action of a panel sitting to review a referee’s decision? Is it based on the influence a club may have?
“What is the criteria and do clubs and the media know this?
“Also, who is on the panel? There’s got to be transparency. Is this a former player? Is this a former manager? Is this a former manager? If it’s a panel of three, was it a 3-0 vote? Was it a 2-1 vote?
“What expertise does the panel have in regards to the integration of the law because that’s the expertise criteria of a referee, not a player or a manager.
“The referee has judged the challenge as reckless. The law states reckless is when a player acts with disregard, to the danger to, or the consequences for an opponent and must be cautioned.
“I looked at that challenge and it fulfilled the criteria.
“There’s two areas if it’s a red card. The words are, for it to be a red card offence, using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off.
“The judgment here has been tinged that a player has been injured. But did the player use excessive force? Not in my opinion.
“The other aspect of law is serious foul play. For me, that’s what they’ve gone for. Serious foul play is about a tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality.
“Did he use excessive force and was there brutality? He didn’t use brutality, I believe excessive force is a judgement for the referee and I support his judgement.”
“If they’re saying it’s a red not yellow then the public must know, why is it not a red?
“I’m not questioning the integrity, I’m questioning there need to be transparent in operations.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has dropped a ‘£150m’ prize money reveal after Uefa news that’s ‘enormous’ for Celtic.