SPL bosses demand change to appeals system

By Ewing Grahame
Last Updated: 5:51PM GMT 12 Feb 2009
SPL bosses demand change to appeals system
Man in the middle: Referee Iain Brines sent off Marius Zaliukas and Kevin Kyle Photo: PA

At present when clubs wish to appeal against a red card, they must lodge a £1,000 fee and the incident in question is reviewed on video by the referee who originally sent the player off.

Jefferies and his peers believe that modus operandi is flawed and places too much pressure on match officials. He also disclosed that he had to persuade Kevin Kyle not to use his own money to appeal against his dismissal by referee Iain Brines in Kilmarnock's 2-0 Homecoming Scottish Cup defeat at Inverness on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, signed from Coventry City last month, was expelled for violent conduct following an aerial challenge with Inverness defender David Proctor.

Brines signalled that the former Scotland forward, making only his second appearance since his move, had elbowed his opponent, an accusation Proctor has publicly dismissed.

Kyle, who automatically misses Saturday's visit of Hibernian, was anxious to have that decision overturned but Jefferies informed him that Brines, who refused to rescind a red card shown to Hearts defender Marius Zaliukas at Pittodrie in December, was unlikely to admit that he had made a mistake.

"The boy was adamant that he'd done nothing, so much so that Kevin was prepared to pay the money himself," said Jefferies. "I told him not to waste it because this is not like England: the referee is the one who decides.

"If it had been an independent panel, the chairman would have appealed it. It wasn't about the money: we thought that the referee wouldn't want to be proved wrong. That's not the referee's fault, it's the system that's to blame.

"We weren't worried about the cost but knowing what we know about Mr Brines and what happened at Aberdeen, it would have been a complete waste of time.

"If you look at the video of the incident only one Inverness player, Richie Foran, appealed for anything but Ross Tokely, who was only a yard away, didn't gesture at all.

"David Proctor said himself he didn't think it was malicious or vindictive but it would have been an absolute waste of money.

"He said Kevin just ran into him and it was unfortunate. The likes of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and John Hartson have always used their arms as leverage. This is about knowing the game.

"The SPL managers met with the SPL board on Wednesday and most of us believe that we would be better off with a panel. That could include a referee but that's another debate.

"We've been invited along to these meetings to provide input: however, whether or not the system is changed for next season remains to be seen."

Taken from telegraph.co.uk