Alloa’s Mouhamed Niang has picked up a two-match ban for his ferocious tackle on Yosuke Ideguchi in last weekend’s fourth round Scottish Cup win in Clackmannanshire.
Referee Don Robertson did not miss the incident at the time, it should be noted, instead the whistler with the dodgy eyesight, and even dodgier interpretation of the laws of the game, issued a booking and has once again had his homework marked and been found to have made yet another schoolboy error.
Robertson’s decision was initially reviewed by the Scottish FA’s compliance officer and from there a notice of complaint was issued to Niang. An independent panel then studied the incident and upgraded the initial yellow card punishment to a red.
BREAKING! Mouhamed Niang banned for Celtic tackle as Alloa star handed two game suspension over Yosuke Ideguchi flashpointhttps://t.co/e4LcFhStU9 pic.twitter.com/8i6hHXxKPV
— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) January 28, 2022
As such Niang will now miss two games, although one of those will now have to wait until next season, as the player is banned for Alloa’s league clash with Clyde on Saturday, but the second game he is suspended for will be in next season’s Scottish Cup.
When an incident like this is highlighted, we know what happens to the injured party and we know what ultimately happens to the offender, that’s all very transparent. However, what we don’t get to see is how the referees are dealt with.
Now one-off incidents you can understand as being put down to mere human error. However in the case of Don Robertson who missed a clear hand ball at Ibrox and denied Livingston a penalty just four days after the Niang fiasco, the whistler has already ‘missed’ a ‘tackle’ on David Tunbull that endangered an opponent when Dundee United’s Calum Butcher was also given a yellow card for an offence he was subsequently given a three game ban for this season, upon review, and prior to this at Easter Road, Tom Rogic was the victim of a certain red card offence from Hibs hardman Alex Gogic, and Robertson decided Gogic could remain on the pitch, meanwhile Tom Rogic picked up an injury and Celtic were minus an important player for several weeks.
It seems we get the prognosis on an injured player and we get the outcome of the punishment the guilty player receives, but what of the referees?
Is it back to school, is it a suspension, or is it as you were and the whole thing concluded as a bad day at the office? The truth is we never know because with the SFA because there is no transparency and it’s about time there was.
Niall J
In truth Niall, this is becoming a serious issue for our sqad. The relentless attacks on the lads as they try to play football and are hacked down at every given moment without any official using both their whistle and their cards. I want no more than the team i support to be given the protection that other leagues give their players and others get in our own league. Celtic FC have a duty of care towards Celtic employees, and as such they have a duty to remind the MIB’S and their employers they cannot proceed in the manner of officiating allowed.
I’m seriously worried for the safety of our Bhoys.