Brendan Rodgers Ban over his referee rant

Unimpressed Des Roache believes the SFA have scored an own goal by plumping for Don Robertson to referee Celtic’s crunch visit to Livingston on Sunday afternoon.

Former official Roache – now the host of the Behind The Whistles podcast – reckons it’s the wrong call after Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers received a one game ban for his explosive ‘incompetence” verdict aimed at Robertson and his VAR official John Beaton after the incident-packed 2-0 defeat to Hearts. Roache is a vocal backer of Robertson’s ability but believes decision makers haven’t helped themselves with their selection for the big game in West Lothian

Speaking to the Netsport, Roache said: “I think there could have been better appointments made this weekend. There were numerous games Don could have been appointed to and I thought the SFA appointments officer could have shown a bit more common sense with that one. Don will do a great job because he is a fantastic referee.”

And Roache believes a ban was in order for Rodgers – who will be in the stands at the Tony Mac – over the comments aimed at Beaton and hopes “scapegoating” match officials becomes a thing of the past.

He added: “Where I would think the referees feel some injustice is the fact that a manager made a personal attack when he named them. I think that was wrong. Let’s be honest, when players make mistakes during a game, managers defend them. But it’s very easy to scapegoat a referee and make an issue of his performance.

“With regard to the sanction itself, I have no issue with that. You can’t have any issue with that because that is the statute of the law that is put down. ‘It’s an independent panel and, as long as that panel are truly independent, there really is no comeback on it. If those are the parameters they have to work within, then we have to accept it. From the guys I have spoken to, they are willing to accept it.”