Jefferies fined by SFA Burns in exile from touchline for a year

By IAN PAUL

21 Jan 1997

Tommy Burns: in trouble again CELTIC manager Tommy Burns became the latest in a long line of his profession to be sent into exile in the stand when he was punished by the disciplinary committee of the SFA yesterday, and he equalled his own unenviable previous worst fine when he was asked also to pay up £2000.

Celtic striker Pierre van Hooydonk could also be in trouble should it be found that he played in a testimonial game in the Netherlands without international clearance - a FIFA ban being a worse-case scenario.

Burns' ban from the dug-out is for a year and that and the fine are the consequence of a touchline tantrum during the Old Firm game at Parkhead last November.

The Celtic manager raced after linesman Eric Martindale before being restrained and was duly sent upstairs by the referee, Hugh Dallas.

Burns did not make a personal appearance at the House on the Hill yesterday, but his case was heard and decided on written evidence.

He had been fined even more earlier in the season, £3000, for a previous misdemeanour, but on appeal had that reduced to £2000.

There was no comment from the Celtic leader last night and he will now have to use the walkie-talkie during matches to discuss the state of play with his assistant Billy Stark for the rest of this season.

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies appeared before the committee in person - and left with a £500 fine.

The same fine was handed out to Airdrie manager Alex MacDonald, and former Scotland full back Ray Stewart, now the assistant manager of Stirling Albion, has been banned from the touchline until the end of the season.

Jefferies faced the music after clashing with Dallas and linesman Alan Freeland after Hearts lost the Coca-Cola Cup final to Rangers 4-3 at Celtic Park last November.

Jefferies claimed Hearts should have been awarded a foul in the lead-up to a Paul Gascoigne goal for Rangers, but neither Freeland nor referee Dallas signalled for the offence.

"We were pretty hyped up that day about a particular decision and we let our feelings be known, perhaps over-zealously,'' said Jefferies later, an SFA spokesman confirming that it had been decided that he had brought the game into disrepute with his aggressive attitude.

Stirling Albion assistant manager Ray Stewart is banned from the dug-out until next season after a row with officials during a 5-2 defeat for his side at Falkirk in a first division match earlier this season.

MacDonald was fined £500 for "using foul language'' to a linesman after a St Mirren v Airdrie fixture, in November.

Meanwhile, Celtic's long serving midfield man Peter Grant could lose out by something close to £30,000 as a result of a Scottish League decision to bar live television coverage of his testimonial game between Celtic and Bayern Munich by Sky Scottish tomorrow night.

The fee for covering the game was intended to go to the player and was accepted on his behalf by the testimonial committee.

However, the League objected to the transmission because of three scheduled first, second and third division games on the same night.

Secretary Peter Donald said: "Celtic did apply to the SFA for permission to have the game covered live, but when we were asked our opinion we felt that it did not come under the terms of the agreement we and the SFA have with the TV companies.

"There are already 20 live games coming from our league this season and the management committee felt that there had to be a limit somewhere.'' Celtic will await the return of van Hooydonk before making any decisions about reports that he took part in a game involving his previous club, NAC Breda, on Sunday.

The board will be concerned if the reports are true, because of the implications regarding his insurance situtation and so, too, might the SFA.

However, it is likely that the managers will be prepared to leave that to the men upstairs and concentrate on his readiness for the testimonial game with the Germans.

Managing director Fergus McCann would only say: "We don't know if he took part in a match but we will find out tomorrow.'' The game with Bayern could produce a crowd of around 30,000, despite a slow start to sales.

Bayern arrived in Glasgow yesterday and will meet Raith Rovers tonight - Rovers have reduced the price of tickets after a slow response - at Stark's Park before moving on to Parkhead.

Taken from the Herald