Josh Meekings cup final ban wrong, says Fifa chief

THE Scottish FA should not have suspended Inverness Caledonian Thistle player Josh Meekings from the Scottish Cup final, Fifa’s refereeing chief has said.

Josh Meekings of Caledonian Thistle handles the ball on the goal line during Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic. Picture: Getty

Jim Boyce made his remarks ahead of an appeal tomorrow lodged by the Highland club, who face being without Meekings for May’s cup final against Falkirk after he was retrospectively banned for handballing a goal-bound header from Celtic forward Leigh Griffiths. Celtic claim the failure of the officials to spot the incident was decisive in their 3-2 semi-final defeat.

Boyce told the BBC: “I think it would be a very, very dangerous precedent. Who’s to say it was even intentional?

“Every week we have hand-ball situations where referees make a decision. In this particular game, there was a referee, an assistant referee, one of these people behind the goal line and there was a fourth official and none of them made any decision.

“So I can’t believe that they’re going to suspend a player for a hand ball.”

Celtic wrote to the SFA earlier this week demanding answers over the performance of Steve McLean and his fellow officials during the match.

Players have been subject to retrospective disciplinary action since 2011.


SEE ALSO

• Inverness Caley talk with lawyers over Meekings ban