SFA set to overhaul appeals procedure in time for next season

Responding to the latest attack on the way the SFA deal with claims for wrongful dismissal from the Scottish Premier League, Smith confirmed draft proposals aimed at "streamlining and harmonising" the entire system were set to be submitted to the organisation's board for approval.

It is understood these proposals include stripping match referees of the power to uphold their own decisions after viewing a video replay of any incident. Instead, the referee would be invited to make a submission to a three-strong panel, which would decide whether to reject or uphold the official's original verdict.

This is similar to the system currently operating in England and it is believed the panel could be made up of a member of the SFA's referee development department, a former player and a former manager.

The proposals will also recommend reducing the time it takes for any disciplinary investigation, with a number of cases having dragged on for months in the past.

Smith, who last Friday dismissed calls for match referees to be removed from the disciplinary process altogether, said: "Further to my statement on Friday, and in light of recent comment, I can confirm that draft proposals have been made with regard to improving the disciplinary procedures.

"These proposals – which the Scottish FA have been working on for some time – will be submitted to the board for approval with a view to being implemented for the start of next season.

"I will reiterate my comments of Friday that I am in favour of streamlining and harmonising the disciplinary procedures.

"I am confident these proposals will be ratified and I am pleased that other organisations share my views on improving the current procedures."

Smith's statement was issued hours after SPL counterpart Neil Doncaster revealed he had written to the SFA urging a reform of their disciplinary appeals process.

Doncaster formally followed up his statement from the weekend in which he expressed concern that match referees had the final say on whether or not appeals could proceed.

The Scottish Professional Footballers' Association last week led calls for a complete overhaul of the system. That stance was backed by Celtic and – yesterday – Hearts, both of whom are aggrieved at their failure to overturn red cards for their respective players this season. Tuesday even saw Celtic fans threaten to boycott away matches in protest should the status quo prevail.

Doncaster told the SPL's official website, www.scotprem.com: "There are enough talented and experienced people around Scottish football to create an independent review panel. What is essential is that the referee himself is not part of that panel.

"We need to overhaul our current appeals system. We need to ensure that justice is done and is seen to be done by creating an independent appeals body – and we need to do so now."

He added: "How can you have an appeals process which is dependent upon the referee admitting he got it wrong in the first place? This was the question posed by (Rangers manager] Walter Smith earlier this year. Walter Smith is not alone in questioning why Scotland should be so out of step with what happens elsewhere in Europe.

"PFA Scotland, Celtic, Hearts, (St Mirren manager] Gus MacPherson and (Hibernian manager] John Hughes have also spoken out in the past year or so, backing changes to the Scottish FA's appeals process."

Citing the system used by the Football Association in England as a possible template, he added: "As in England, this could involve respected former players and managers. We can also make sure that these individuals are knowledgeable in the laws of the game and up to date with any developments on how to apply them.

"By insisting that referees must agree to review their decisions before an appeals process can take place, we are effectively insisting referees become both judge and jury. In doing so, we risk reducing their credibility in the eyes of the paying public.

"We need an open and transparent appeals system – one that is entirely independent of those making the decisions in the first place."

The SPL, meanwhile, has expressed an "open" mind about the return of artificial pitches to the top flight in Scotland. As well as causing a record number of postponements, one of the harshest winters in living memory has left many SPL pitches in a poor state, forcing clubs to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on remedial work this summer.

"We are open to it as a possibility, but we'd require a demonstration that it was going to be effective," said SPL secretary Ian Blair on the prospect of allowing clubs to use 'fourth generation' pitches. "We as a league are not promoting artificial surfaces, but there is a facility within our rules for a club to come forward and it's certainly possible it would be approved."