Nasty shock for Bo'ness in video row

Published on Friday 13 November 2009 09:08

BO'NESS manager Alan McGonigal has hit out at the East Region disciplinary committee after his striker Darren Gribben was handed a three-match ban earlier this week.

Gribben was shown a straight red card for throwing the ball at an opponent in his side's 7-1 win over Arbroath in the first round of East of Scotland Cup at the end of September.

His punishment starts tomorrow when Bo'ness, the Super League leaders, entertain Kirkcaldy YM in the next round of the same competition.

"No matter what anyone says, Darren wasn't guilty and we have the video evidence to prove it," said McGonigal. "Unfortunately, the East Region won't accept video evidence, which I simply can't believe in this day and age."

Bo'ness had just scored in the game and Gribben was running back to the halfway line carrying the ball when he was tripped up by an opponent. "He got up and with two hands from the waist like a basketball pass, he threw it towards the Arbroath player who actually caught it," added McGonigal.

"Darren never once changed his story – he told the truth – and if we'd have been allowed to show the video, the people who made this decision would have seen it for themselves."

As well as Gribben, McGonigal is also without two other strikers for the visit of the Fifers tomorrow. Paul Shields has a hamstring injury while Chris McFadyen is out with a nasty knock that saw his calf balloon up to two or three times its normal size. "That leaves me with just Nicky Walker for striking options so I may turn to Scott Brown, who is still on our books but who, to his credit, has not been taking a wage due to the fact he's not been having to do a shift for us," said McGonigal, who intends to use this game to give a run out to players who have not been involved on a regular basis so far this season.

"You probably won't recognise my team for Saturday," he added. "I've got a squad of 20 players and the great thing about making changes is that I have complete trust in the players who'll be involved."