Jump to content

Motherwell Match Forfeit - Appeal Successful


Allan

Recommended Posts

1 minute ago, Flood said:

You can follow all social distance requirements of SPFL and still catch and transmit covid. There are no 100% guarantees. That should be the start of the argument.

Why punish two teams, while others clearly are breaking social distance rules and just happen not to catch covid...

Do we know for sure none have contracted covid as they have had no positive results same as the blue cheek but both have their own testing machines?

unless they were on international duty, strangely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

54 minutes ago, PillieKie said:

Kilmarnock are set to use Celtic’s Dubai trip to help them in their fight against SPFL punishment for Covid rule breaches.

The Ayrshire club and St Mirren face a Hampden appeal hearing later this month after being docked points for infringing social distancing rules.

Killie were hit with a 3-0 defeat after a coronavirus outbreak forced the plug to be pulled on their clash with Motherwell in October while the Buddies were also docked six points after games against Well and Hamilton were postponed.

Both admitted social distancing violations which took place on team buses and at meals, and Buddies players also sharing cars to and from training.

But the furious duo challenged the punishment - which included £40,000 suspended fines - and took their appeal to the SFA’s judicial panel, which will now hear the case on January 14.

And Kilmarnock will instruct lawyers acting on behalf of the club to use Celtic’s controversial winter training camp in the Middle East as part of their appeal.

The Hoops are currently in the UAE to prepare for the second half of the season and photos emerged online which appear to show players contravening rules set out by the football authorities.

Scottish football’s Joint Response Group circulated a document to all clubs on December 23 with a strict set of guidelines, including for clubs using hotel accommodation.

It states a ban on access for players in common areas such as the bar where a photo emerged of a group of Celtic players and Killie’s lawyers will point to that if no action is taken.

The fact an outbreak of the virus at both Rugby Park and in Paisley resulted in fixtures being postponed is the key difference but Killie will look to use the Celts trip.

Club chairman Billy Bowie would only say: “We’ll use whatever we can to strengthen our appeal.”

But a well-placed Rugby Park source told Record Sport: “There’s absolutely no question this will be brought up at Hampden on January 14.

“A strict set of rules for staying in hotels was circulated by the JRG to all clubs. In fact, it got to the point Kilmarnock FC took the decision not to stay in hotels because it’s practically impossible.

“The photos that have surfaced of Celtic in Dubai just go to prove that and it doesn’t look good as it’s apparent the players aren’t socially distancing.

“We were penalised for not staying two metres apart on the team bus and we now use two buses. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of Celtic because we know better than anyone how difficult it is but everyone has to stick by the same rules.

“If they had been there on holiday during their free time then they could have argued against that but it’s a training camp so it’s club business so surely the same rules must apply.

“The lawyers acting on behalf are looking into all of this. We held our hands up two two of the rule breaches but the punishment was too harsh in our view.

“We believe we have enough anyway to fight our appeal before any of this but this can only help and St Mirren are likely to feel the same way.”

 

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kilmarnock-cite-celtic-dubai-trip-23267539

 

I sincerely hope this is just paper talk. Pretty desperate if “whataboutery” is our defence. What was the basis of our case before Celtic jetted off to Dubai??

We've admitted our breaches, taken responsibility for them and adjusted our arrangements accordingly. Our case isn’t about us, or anyone else,  not following protocols. It’s about the disproportionate and frankly ludicrous decision to have a 3-0 defeat imposed for a match that could quite easily have been rescheduled on any number of available dates since the original postponed game. 
I hope we are going to focus on that rather than petulant finger pointing at another club whose gross error of judgment ( at least) and lax attitude to social distancing happened long after we had submitted our appeal. 

Edited by Stefanus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, PillieKie said:

But a well-placed Rugby Park source told Record Sport:

A well-placed Rugby Park blabber mouth.

How is it so hard for people at the club, not meaning BB, to say "No comment"?

The tribunal, then the appeal, are the places to set out your case, not the Daily Record.

 

  

Edited by skygod
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, skygod said:

A well-placed Rugby Park blabber mouth.

How is it so hard for people at the club, not meaning BB, to say "No comment"?

The tribunal, then the appeal, are the places to set our your case, not the Daily Record.

 

  

As I regularly walk my dogs passed Rugby Park could I be a well placed source? 

How about a resident of the neighbouring flats? 

im sure that someone at Rugby Park will have them on speed dial. Not!!

Can we believe anything this excuse for toilet roll says?

I would say it is more likely it’s made up to suit their own narrative and take the heat off Ceptic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, skygod said:

A well-placed Rugby Park blabber mouth.

How is it so hard for people at the club, not meaning BB, to say "No comment"?

The tribunal, then the appeal, are the places to set our your case, not the Daily Record.

 

  

I wouldn’t believe a word the record says. Probably made up rubbish anyone was even spoken to. We will use Dubai in the appeal but anyone would know that. 

Edited by DuncD
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, skygod said:

 

They should employ some proofreaders.

"We held our hands up two two of the rule breaches." 

 

 

Yes but why do Celtic appear to do what they want with no sanctions against them ? They fielded an ineligible player against us who helped them to a draw against us at Rugby Park, we all no who and why. Going by what punishment was handed to us, we should be awarded a 3 nil victory for that game. Whether Lennon or Lawell new he had been in Spain is irrelevant, he was and therefore was ineligible to play against us !All people are asking for is consistency from the people running our game. There are fixtures being postponed all over the UK and Europe due to Covid-19 and no other clubs being punished like us and St. Mirren. Ok its going to appeal but we all know what the outcome will be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, Stefanus said:

I sincerely hope this is just paper talk. Pretty desperate if “whataboutery” is our defence. What was the basis of our case before Celtic jetted off to Dubai??

We've admitted our breaches, taken responsibility for them and adjusted our arrangements accordingly. Our case isn’t about us, or anyone else,  not following protocols. It’s about the disproportionate and frankly ludicrous decision to have a 3-0 defeat imposed for a match that could quite easily have been rescheduled on any number of available dates since the original postponed game. 
I hope we are going to focus on that rather than petulant finger pointing at another club whose gross error of judgment ( at least) and lax attitude to social distancing happened long after we had submitted our appeal. 

Whataboutery is a very good defense. You can't punish two teams for breaking covid rules if other teams have done the same just because they were lucky enough to avoid infection. We might as well just give up on football if that is the case. Every team photo should be scrutinised if they are going to punish 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Flood said:

Why punish two teams, while others clearly are breaking social distance rules and just happen not to catch covid...

Because the SFA have always operated a princlple of penalising the wee diddy teams while kowtowing to the Twisted two.

It's the way it's always been. Why change the habit of a lifeltime? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, C4mmy31 said:

They really are corrupt to the core.... playing a dangerous game with Sturgeon.... are they trying to get her to pull the trigger.

 

Why is it SFA and not SPFL investigating?

Either way gives killie ammunition for our appeal as we adhered to government guidelines and it was spfl rules we apparently broke. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, PrestersKtid said:

Why is it SFA and not SPFL investigating?

The SPFL only has jurisdiction over the competitions it organises - the league, the league cup and the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Cup..

The SFA has a wider responsibility for all Scottish football.

I think that's the answer.

 

 

Edited by skygod
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If our 3-0 defeat is still in play after the appeal then the credibility of the game in Scotland is finished. 

I go back to what Jack Ross said neither St Mirren or Killie were seeking a sporting advantage by breaching rules. The punishment therefore cannot be one which influences league positions for any club involved including Hamilton and Motherwell. 

You could actually argue Celtic's trip seeks more sporting advantage than any breach made by Killie or Saints. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The failure to investigate I cannot understand. Celtic have clearly breached the special regulations put in place to allow elite football to continue. Whether this was at Celtic Park, Dubai or on the moon is irrelevant. The evidence is there -  they did not follow the regulations in the same way as we didn’t. 
Again I would argue that their breach is worse. Although ignorance is not a defence we at least thought we were complying with the rules, they clearly knew that they weren’t. 
I would have this, Dundee Utd, all the English games and everything in the appeal. It seems to me that we are not being punished for breaking the regulations (Celtic and Dundee Utd have done the same with no penalty) but for being unfortunate that some of our players caught COVID and there is no way on God’s earth that it can been proved that the players caught it while attending their work at the club. As I’ve pointed out before, they could caught it at St Mirren the previous week. 
Any decent lawyer could drive a coach and horses through the SPFL case. I’ll be amazed if we don’t win the appeal. If we don’t then for me the games a bogey and I’ll have had enough. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, skygod said:

The SPFL only has jurisdiction over the competitions it organises - the league and the league cup.

The SFA has a wider responsibility for all Scottish football.

I think that's the answer.

 

Well, the SPFL could require Celtic players on the trip to self isolate on return. Celtic could then decide to play only those players not in the trip or forfeit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Wrangodog said:

The SPFL have mucked up by allowing Celtic to rearrange the Hibs game. Allowing them to attend a training camp in the middle of a pandemic is a joke.  Now the SFA and Scottish government are backtracking to cover their own arses. We shouldn't use this sh!tshow as part of our appeal.

The authorities gave them permission to go. However, they did not give them permission to leave the rules behind in Scotland. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, historyman said:

The failure to investigate I cannot understand. Celtic have clearly breached the special regulations put in place to allow elite football to continue. Whether this was at Celtic Park, Dubai or on the moon is irrelevant. The evidence is there -  they did not follow the regulations in the same way as we didn’t. 
Again I would argue that their breach is worse. Although ignorance is not a defence we at least thought we were complying with the rules, they clearly knew that they weren’t. 
I would have this, Dundee Utd, all the English games and everything in the appeal. It seems to me that we are not being punished for breaking the regulations (Celtic and Dundee Utd have done the same with no penalty) but for being unfortunate that some of our players caught COVID and there is no way on God’s earth that it can been proved that the players caught it while attending their work at the club. As I’ve pointed out before, they could caught it at St Mirren the previous week. 
Any decent lawyer could drive a coach and horses through the SPFL case. I’ll be amazed if we don’t win the appeal. If we don’t then for me the games a bogey and I’ll have had enough. 

Well said Historyman, last sentence is my thoughts too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jimmy Superscot said:

Well, the SPFL could require Celtic players on the trip to self isolate on return. Celtic could then decide to play only those players not in the trip or forfeit.

Would be interesting if there is a change in policy requiring everyone coming in to the country to be independently tested and that found a few positives among the Celtic group. The pictures that have been published would indicate that they would all be potential contacts and would all need to isolate for at least ten days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...