Hearts boss Craig Levein insists SFA compliance officer Clare Whyte is responsible for giving Scottish football a bad name – not the players.
Levein is stunned that both his club and Aberdeen have both been hit with a notice of complaint over last weekend’s second half melee that saw four rival players being booked by referee John Beaton.
Whyte has also pulled up Celtic and Rangers for failing to control their respective teams in the ill-tempered Old Firm tussle, while Hoops captain Scott Brown has been cited over his celebrations.
Hearts and Hibs both successfully fought against a breach of disciplinary rule 204 ‘where three or more players are involved in a confrontation with the opposing team’ following last October’s tussle at Tynecastle.
And as Levein prepares to host rivals Hibs today for what is sure to be another fiercely competitive derby, the ex-Scotland boss insists Whyte has needlessly brought negativity on the game north of the border by getting involved in nothing incidents.
He said: “I don’t know if this is something that’s coming from the governing body or the SPFL, who have asked the compliance officer to make Scottish football look bad.
“Because that’s what is happening.
“I see it coming up on the telly and say: ‘Oh, here we go again, something negative about Scottish football’.
“And I look at what they’re talking about – and it’s almost an eightsome reel. Nothing.
“What happens is the compliance officer gets involved, and the pictures are all over the UK.
“It’s almost like the compliance officer is trying to make Scottish football look bad.
“I don’t understand it. We had one earlier in the season and it got thrown out because it was just a nonsense.
“Aggression is something people don’t like talking about. I think it’s a brilliant thing in football. You need it.
“I don’t know why she’s picking on the clubs – and trying to magnify things that are nothing.
“These things happen in every game in England. And it doesn’t seem to bother anybody down there.
“It worries me what’s happening behind the scenes with people getting involved in stuff.
“Why change something that’s working? Football in Scotland is good just now. It’s competitive.”
