SFA clears up Danny Wilson suspension mystery

By STUART BATHGATE
Published on 30/01/2013 01:12

The Scottish Football Association has confirmed that Danny Wilson was eligible to play for Hearts in Saturday’s League Cup semi-final.

Inverness Caley Thistle, who lost the tie on penalties, had asked why the defender was allowed to play after leaving Scotland for Liverpool with an outstanding League Cup suspension from the 2010 final. But the SFA said that, when Wilson left Rangers for Merseyside, it was up to the English authorities to administer the suspension and, as the player returned on loan to Scotland without any ban, there was nothing to prevent him from playing.

“The player did have an outstanding one-match League Cup suspension when he left Rangers FC to go to Liverpool FC in 2010,” an SFA spokesperson said. “When the International Transfer Certificate was issued to the FA, this suspension was notified to them, as per Fifa regulations.

“It was then for the FA to apply the suspension in accordance with their own rules.

“The FA does not operate competition-specific disciplinary procedures, so the suspension would have been served in Liverpool FC’s opening league match of season 2010-11 against Arsenal FC (the player did not play in this match). There was no outstanding suspension notified to the Scottish FA when the 
ITC was issued for the player coming back to Scotland. Therefore the player was eligible to play in last Saturday’s League Cup semi-final.”

Inverness had said on Monday that they would seek further details after being unsatisfied with the SFA’s initial explanations, but there now appears to be 
little more that they can do.