SFA backtracks over Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor life bans

By Roddy Forsyth
Last Updated: 9:03PM BST 09 Apr 2009
SFA backtrack over Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor life bans
Out in the cold: Barry Ferguson will not play for Scotland while George Burley is manager Photo: PA

On Thursday the SFA board delivered its verdict on Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor, the Rangers pair who engaged in a marathon drinking session at the Scotland squad base on Loch Lomond and then, despite declaring themselves contrite, flashed V-signs at photographers and TV cameras from the bench at Hampden Park prior to the World Cup qualifier against Iceland.

Last Friday Rangers suspended the pair for two weeks and fined them commensurate wages for bringing the club into disrepute. Within moments of that decision being made public, the SFA announced that the two players would not play for Scotland again.

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However, Gordon Smith, the SFA chief executive, declined to confirm that the ban is irrevocable. Repeatedly questioned on the matter he would go no further than to state: "I can't answer that because that's something that's going to have to be looked at in the future, but the statement that came out on Friday was quite clear that, at the moment, they will not be chosen.

"There was a regular meeting of the SFA board today. One of the agenda items was a report from national team coach George Burley regarding the incidents that took place around the two World Cup matches against the Netherlands and Iceland.

"There has been a lot of debate caused and emotions stirred by what has taken place. The board had to look beyond that and consider the facts of the matter."

The subtext appears to be that while George Burley is Scotland manager, the two have no chance of being selected, but that under a future regime the door may be open for a comeback.

Such a possibility becomes even more intriguing given Burley's situation in charge of a team toiling to achieve second place in World Cup qualifying Group 9 and which, as matters currently stand, would be the only runners-up not to make the play-offs.

Smith also emphasised that there would be no sanctions against the four others who drank with the two principals – Gary Teale of Derby County, Tottenham's Alan Hutton, Steven Whittaker of Rangers and Celtic's Scott Brown – and added that the disciplinary action against Ferguson and McGregor was incremental.

"It is certainly the case that there were a number of players who stayed up beyond an acceptable time and it is also the case that the excessive consumption of alcohol by players can never be considered a part of the preparations for a vital game," said Smith.

"All of the players who breached team discipline were spoken to by the manager at the time and told in no uncertain terms that their actions were totally unacceptable both to him, to the rest of the squad and to the country. The players who stayed on drinking until after 12pm weren't punished until there was a second incident.

"What happened on Sunday was a yellow card. What happened on Wednesday night was another yellow card. That results in a red card and that's what's happened here.

"The first incident could be regarded as a yellow-card incident and, therefore, nobody gets sent off for that."

What has also animated critics of the SFA was Smith's apparent assumption that the matter was closed on the day after the Iceland game, despite the fact that the two players were pictured making their derogatory gestures in most newspapers and the SFA switchboard and email box was deluged by callers making complaints.

Smith repeated that the gravity of their actions had not become evident until later, but that the burden of responsibility for both incidents fell upon the players involved.

"The board also examined the processes that were followed in making the final decision to announce that the two players were no longer being considered for international selection," Smith said.

"It was their view that while the final decision was the correct one, the confusion caused by the attempt to draw a line under the on issue the previous day should have been avoided.

"This confusion existed due to the fact that the meeting between the manager and myself took place before the full implications of the players' actions on the bench had been fully considered.

"The board also considered what needs to be done to ensure that this never happens again. The board recognised that by taking such a tough stance on this matter, a crystal clear message has been sent out to current and future players that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated.

"However, further tightening of procedures will now take place. A code of conduct will be issued to all players who are chosen to represent their country – regardless of level. This will be drawn up in the coming weeks in consultation with the coaching staff.

"This whole episode has been an embarrassment to our national game and has overshadowed the fact that Scotland secured a vital win last week." Smith added: "I know for myself how difficult it is – you can be very tired after the game but you can't go to sleep. There was food laid on – that was part of the sports scientists' advice, to put some food on for about 4am.

"They were told they could have a beer and go to bed. If you're a responsible player and a top-class professional, you've been given a degree of credibility that you're going to go and act in the correct manner.

"If a player has sneaked out of his room after being put to bed, is that the manager's fault because he didn't have the bedroom window locked or they didn't have a guard out in the garden?

" You're relying on players to act in a certain way and maybe what we have to do now is put in a code of conduct to make sure that the players will have to respect that and act in a certain way rather than give the players responsibility to act in a certain manner."

Taken from telegraph.co.uk