OFF HIS NUT; Jambos walk as ref Evans loses it.

Bungling ref Gerry Evans lost the plot as he sent off FOUR Hearts players at Ibrox yesterday.

Gorgie stars Pasquale Bruno, Davie Weir, Neil Pointon and Paul Ritchie were dismissed in a crazy 20-minute spell.

Gers strolled to a 3-0 win but the result was overshadowed by Evans and his assistant ref Graeme Allison who was responsible for the red cards of Pointon and Ritchie after they used foul and abusive language towards him.

And now the game is certain to be probed by the SFA with Hearts set to receive a HAMMERING.

But that would be unfair and it's Evans and Allison who should be hauled before the beaks where demotion back to the amateur ranks would be too good for them.

I feel only Weir's red cardwas merited. He seemed to elbow Gordon Durie off the ball. As for the other three, well they were baffling and harsh. If just one more Hearts player had been red carded the game would have had to be abandoned under FIFA rules as a team can't play on with less than seven players.

Hearts officials refused to comment after the game but I understand chairman Chris Robinson asked manager Jim Jefferies to take his players OFF the park in protest.

Things got way out of hand after Pointon's dismissal and Gers skipper Richard Gough appealed to Evans for a bit of common sense. But seconds later Ritchie was sent packing.

Hearts will now be missing the four players in Tuesday night's live TV Coca- Cola Cup quarter-final against Celtic at Tynecastle.

Assistant ref Allison is no stranger to controversy. He was responsible for Rangers reserve coach John McGregor's five-year dug-out ban after he reported the Ibrox official for foul and abusive language during a match against Dundee in December 1993.

Taken from the Daily Record