Duo in dock over t-shirts

By KENNY MacDONALD

Published: Today
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CELTIC and Hearts could be carpeted by SFA beaks over t-shirt messages sported by their players.

Hampden compliance officer Vincent Lunny will decide today if action is to be taken against Hoops ace Emilio Izaguirre and Jambos' midfielder Ian Black.

Izaguirre, in his first game since breaking his ankle last August, wore a t-shirt under his jersey with the message: 'Thanks God For Healing Me' in the 3-0 win at Dunfermline.

Jambos ace Black showed a shirt with the words: 'I'll Paint This Place Maroon' after Hearts' 3-1 win over Hibs.

FIFA regulations state: 'Basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements. A player removing his jersey or shirt to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by the competition organiser'.

Breaching that rule will lead to both clubs being asked to explain their actions, and a fine or warning is likely to follow.

It's part of a hectic workload Lunny will come back to when he arrives at his desk this morning.

He will also have to decide whether Black's Hearts' team-mate Ryan McGowan should be brought to book for his clash with Ivan Sproule.

And he also has to put together a judicial panel to hear Rangers' appeal against Lee McCulloch's two-game suspension for his red card at St Mirren Park on Christmas Eve.

That panel is set to sit tomorrow. If McCulloch's case goes against Rangers, the midfielder could be hit with an extra one-game ban.

The SFA's judicial panel protocol warns of an automatic extra one-game ban for 'abuse of process or a delaying tactic'.

That would then see McCulloch miss Sunday's Cup clash at Arbroath and the SPL games against St Johnstone and Aberdeen.

Meanwhile, another high-ranking SFA official is leaving Hampden with the resignation of security chief Derek Kirkwood.

The 60-year-old handed in his resignation before Christmas, joining a list of top staff who have left the SFA since chief executive Stewart Regan arrived.

Kirkwood is following veteran admin chief David Findlay and video technician Tim Berridge out the Hampden door as part of the restructuring.