Hibs contest Leigh Griffiths ban over gesture

LEIGH Griffiths will face a Fast Track Tribunal at Hampden today after Hibernian surprisingly turned down the offer of a one-match suspension for an offensive gesture the player is charged with making last Saturday.

The striker was seen to gesticulate in the direction of a group of his own club’s supporters after he scored the equaliser in Hibs’ Scottish Cup fourth-round tie with Cowdenbeath. Hibs went on to win the match 3-2, and will play the winners of the replay between Dundee and Kilmarnock in the next round.

Griffiths will have to sit out that match early next month if he loses today’s hearing, as the single-game suspension applies to the next game in the competition. Whatever the outcome at the national stadium, the striker will be available for Hibs’ bottom-of-the-table clash with Dunfermline on Saturday, as there is no provision for imposing a lengthier ban in this case. Last month Griffiths accepted a ban for a gesture made at Rangers supporters during Hibs’ 2-0 loss to the champions. On the face of it, the two actions are very similar, and it is not immediately obvious how the 21-year-old might escape punishment for his action in Fife.

One potential, if implausible, line of defence would be for Hibs to suggest that Griffiths’ gesture had not been aimed at anyone in particular and that he was merely expressing his frustration. Such an argument would run counter to the impression gained by many spectators at Central Park, but their testimony will not be called on.

Griffiths was playing his first game for Hibs after learning that he would be staying at Easter Road for the rest of the season. His initial loan deal from Wolves had been due to expire earlier this week, but the English club, who had been hoping to sell the player, accepted Hibs’ request to extend the loan arrangement instead.