SCOTS football pundit Graham Hunter has hit out at the Scottish Football Association (SFA) branding the organisation “either corrupt or incompetent” following a controversial Aberdeen ban.
The lifelong Aberdeen fan has been left fuming by the decision of an unnamed three-person panel who decided to uphold the red card dished out to Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie.
Shinnie saw red late in the game last week against Ross County after the referee had initially opted to show him a yellow card.
However the virtual assistant referee (VAR) Greg Aitken was in the ear of ref Euan Anderson to go to the pitchside monitor and have a slow motion look at the freeze frames of the tackle.
Aberdeen fans were apoplectic at the decision on Friday but have been left seething after seeing their appeal be dismissed AND have an additional game added on as punishment.
Hunter, 59, took to social media last night to vent, writing: “Anyone who’s played a role in a tackle which the ref didn’t think was a red, which hasn’t done damage & where the other player bore some responsibility, now earning Graeme Shinnie a four match ban is either corrupt or incompetent.
“Utterly out of proportion.”
Indeed, the club itself released a statement last night sharing their shock and disbelief over the appeal outcome.
They shared their statement on the club website, writing: “In the cold light of day, we very carefully considered the decision to appeal Graeme Shinnie’s red card at last Friday’s game against Ross County.
“We eventually decided to appeal in the belief that it had merit and a chance of success after watching the footage numerous times, listening to various professional pundits on the matter and discussing it with the player and the manager.
“In setting out our appeal, we also reviewed similar tackles in the Scottish Premiership in the last six months where at least two players, who have unintentionally caught an opponent in the follow through of a tackle and were red-carded after VAR reviews, had suspension quashed.
“Scottish FA rules prohibit us from commenting publicly on such decisions, but having been accused of presenting a frivolous appeal our supporters need to know that this is not only insulting to the Club but grossly unfair and entirely untrue.
“To add a further match ban seems ridiculously harsh and unnecessary.
“We are publicly asking the Scottish FA to urgently review our appeal with a new panel.”
Aberdeen currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership after a run of five victories in a row under interim boss Barry Robson.
The Dons will host Rangers on Sunday without Shinnie live on Sky Sports in a game which could effectively hand Celtic the title.
The league leaders face Motherwell on Saturday afternoon and can stretch their lead at the top to 15 points.
This would mean an Aberdeen win would see Rangers mathematically unable to overtake Celtic on points instead relying on goal difference where they have a deficit of 29 currently.
