Lennon to exploit SFA rules to reduce his ban

Despite not appealing his four match ban Neil Lennon is looking to exploit failings in the SFA rules to make sure he only spends five games in the stand.

The Celtic boss started his first four match ban on 3^rd March and sat out the first of those games against Hamilton at Celtic Park. The SFA then handed him another four match ban for his behaviour at the Old Firm Semi final, which is listed as starting on 16^th March.

Celtic’s lawyers are arguing these bans therefore run concurrently and that last night’s game at Inverness was the second game of the first suspension and the first game of the second one, hope you are following this!

The SFA though believe they run consecutively and Lennon should serve the first four games before starting the second one.

Having scoured the SFA rules today I can see nothing that supports their argument, there is no line that states any suspensions passed out will be served back to back. They may believe this is a general understanding everyone has but it is not written anywhere.

As a result I can’t see the SFA having a leg to stand on and Lennon and Celtic will win this one. This may explain the silence from Stewart Regan, a man who normally loves to make a statement!

It may also be another wake up call to the SFA to have a look at their rules and regulations and tighten them up to prevent a repeat of this type of debacle.