SFA ban Naismith for two games.

The SFA have used video evidence to ban Rangers Steven Naismith after finding him guilty of elbowing Dunfermline’s Austin McCann.

Naismith was officially “offered” a two match ban for violent conduct (the same suspension if the referee had spotted it!) and the player has accepted it! This means it will not have to go to a Fast Track tribunal, and prevents Naismith missing more than two games.

The suspension is immediate and this means Naismith misses the game tomorrow withKilmarnock, and then Saturday’s game with Hibs.

There have been the usual arguments that it is not fair using video evidence as the Old Firm feature on TV more than any other team. I don’t think that is much of a defence given they know the rules, and the evidence will only be used if something untoward has happened.

At the end of all of this I would also like to know if there is any punishment for ref Ian Brines who was only a few feet away from the incident when it happened and failed to give anything!

Let’s hope this new way of dealing with issues in this prompt manned prevails and we get things dealt with and move on as we have in this case.