SFA accuses Rangers of 'misleading comments' after 'corrupt' remark fine

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has accused Rangers of issuing "misleading comments" in their criticism of the punishment handed down for a remark from former player John Brown on the club's media channels.

Rangers were fined £3,000 following a disciplinary hearing after being charged with breaching rule 38, which states that clubs should not allow any criticism of match officials "calculated to indicate bias or incompetence" or to "impinge upon his character".

Brown, while working as a pundit on Rangers TV, claimed a decision not to award Rangers a goal at Easter Road on the final weekend of the league season was "corruption" amid a debate over whether the ball had crossed the line.

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Rangers on Thursday claimed they had "flagged numerous examples of similar incidents on club channels" during the hearing and questioned a "lack of consistency" with the SFA's approach.

An SFA statement read: "We note Rangers' response to the determination of a recent independent Judicial Panel Tribunal. In the interests of accuracy, we wish to address some of the misleading comments contained therein.

"The sanction imposed by an independent panel was entirely in keeping with the application of the rules. The most recent and relevant example of a similar breach, the sanction imposed on Richard Foster of Motherwell FC for comments of a similar nature in the media, attests to that.

Motherwell development coach Foster was handed a six-match touchline ban last September after branding the governing body's explanation for a contentiously-awarded goal by Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers against St Johnstone "lies" while working as a pundit for BBC Scotland.

"Furthermore, to address the comments regarding 'rationale behind differing outcomes', we wish to point to the fact that investigations were undertaken in previous cases outlined and that the compliance officers of the time saw fit to issue a censure by way of warning letter for potential breaches deemed insufficiently serious to be progressed to a notice of complaint," continued the SFA statement.

"This system of proportionality has been adopted since the inception of the Judicial Panel Protocol in 2011. Indeed, such discretion was exercised last season when the compliance officer wrote to (Rangers) to warn of the future conduct of players following matters involving Vaclav Cerny, Dujon Sterling and Mohamed Diomande.

"We also note that Rangers intend to contact the association to seek clarity on the Judicial Panel Protocol and its application. The club is, in fact, already represented on the JPP Working Group.

"We have requested written reasons from the panel chair involved in the tribunal and in the interests of transparency will publish in due course.

"JPP Rule 38 was introduced in response to the referee strike of 2010, when match officials campaigned for greater protection after enduring sustained personal criticism from clubs and fans. Ahead of a new season, we remind clubs of their responsibilities in this regard."

What did Brown do?

Nico Raskin looked to have scored during Rangers' final game of the season against Hibs with the ball appearing to cross the line before being cleared by Rocky Bushiri before the hosts equalised soon after.

VAR did not intervene as there was "no conclusive evidence/angle to say the ball had fully crossed the line to award Rangers a second goal".

Angered by the decision, Brown said on Rangers TV: "I would say it is corrupt."

Commentator Tom Miller cautioned: "Well, I'm not sure we can actually say that", before Brown continued: "Well, I am saying it."

What did Rangers say?

In a strongly worded statement on Thursday, Rangers said they had "flagged numerous examples of similar incidents on club channels" as part of their defence adding "these incidents raise legitimate questions about Scottish FA rules and how consistently they are enforced."

"To our knowledge, none of these cases appear to have resulted in charges against the respective clubs.

"The lack of consistency with the Scottish FA's policing of similar incidents leaves more questions than answers. That is why we will be contacting the Scottish FA chief executive and president to seek clarity on what policies and processes the compliance officer has in place, if any, to ensure a consistent and proportionate approach to enforcement and the equal treatment of member clubs.

"We shall also be asking the Scottish FA whether they accept that a rule that cannot be applied consistently across all clubs and all platforms risks losing credibility as a fair and enforceable regulation."

The statement added: "In choosing to pursue this case, the Scottish FA has opened the door to closer scrutiny of how similar situations are handled going forward. If this is now the standard, they will be watched closely to ensure it is applied across the board, consistently, without exception and without favour."

Rangers statement in full

"We feel it is necessary to highlight the broader concerns this outcome raises and the wider implications this has for clarity and confidence in their regulatory processes.

"John Brown spoke emotionally and spontaneously as someone who cares deeply about the club. His words were not scripted, and they were not an official club comment. The ruling however sets a precedent where even spontaneous, corrected remarks made during live coverage of a clear refereeing error are enough to trigger a formal sanction. That is neither proportionate nor consistent, especially when other clubs have made stronger comments on official platforms without consequence.

"As part of our defence today, we flagged numerous examples of similar incidents on club channels. These incidents raise legitimate questions about Scottish FA rules and how consistently they are enforced. To our knowledge, none of these cases appear to have resulted in charges against the respective clubs.

"The lack of consistency with the Scottish FA's policing of similar incidents leaves more questions than answers. That is why we will be contacting the Scottish FA Chief Executive and President to seek clarity on what policies and processes the Compliance Officer has in place, if any, to ensure a consistent and proportionate approach to enforcement and the equal treatment of member clubs. We shall also be asking the Scottish FA whether they accept that a rule that cannot be applied consistently across all clubs and all platforms risks losing credibility as a fair and enforceable regulation.

"Our aim here is to understand the rationale behind the differing outcomes. A lack of consistency, or the perception of it, undermines confidence in the disciplinary process and exposes all member clubs to uncertainty about what is and is not allowed.

"There remains no clear guidance on how clubs are expected to manage live broadcast content, though we note the panel acknowledged that the club's internal editorial guidelines may serve as a constructive step for others going forward.

"To be clear, we referenced these other examples not to suggest they should have resulted in sanctions, but to highlight the clear inconsistency in how similar incidents have been handled. Club media channels are, by nature, passionate and partisan. Informal, tongue-in-cheek and emotional commentary comes with the territory, especially in live settings.

"But, in choosing to pursue this case, the Scottish FA has opened the door to closer scrutiny of how similar situations are handled going forward. If this is now the standard, they will be watched closely to ensure it is applied across the board, consistently, without exception and without favour."

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