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Hibs and Rangers join forces in fury at SFA over punishments from Celtic and Aberdeen ties
HIBS chief executive Leeann Dempster has joined forces with Rangers to demand a the SFA’s controversial compliance system be revamped.
Celtic: Brendan Rodgers addresses Izaguirre injury after win
Hibs are not happy after Darnell Johnson was handed a retrospective two-match ban for a tackle on Celtic’s Emilio Izaguirre last week.
Hoops stars Scott Brown and Jozo Simunovic went unpunished for their own incidents during the game.
Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor has also been slapped with a retrospective ban after failing in his appeal against a violent conduct charge.
He upended Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson earlier this month.
Hibs Rangers SFA bans Celtic Aberdeen Leeann Dempster Darnell Johnson
SFA compliance officer Clare Whyte is bearing the brunt of Hibernian fans’ frustration, with an online petition calling for her resignation attracting more than 10,000 signatures in just 48 hours.
But Dempster says it’s the system that needs overhauled, not the game’s prosecutor-in-chief, and claims fan power and ‘Trial by Sportscene’ are carrying too much sway in the decisions to cite.
She is now set to lobby rival clubs and the SFA for change, echoing the call from Rangers in the aftermath of the decision by a Hampden panel to dismiss their appeal on a two-match ban for keeper Allan McGregor.
“I don’t pass comment necessarily on Darnell’s tackle,” Dempster said.
“But the fact is that within that game there were a few other incidents, let’s put it that way.
“If Darnell was cited for his tackle on Izaguirre, the least I expected was there would be others – the tackles on Oli Shaw and Mark Milligan, to name two.
“I don’t want to re-referee games and don’t think that, when the compliance system was changed, that was the purpose of it.
“But if you’re going to do it, it has to be done in a much fairer way because I don’t think it is at the minute. If you’re going to re-referee a game, re-referee the whole game – not just a part of it.
Rangers: Steven Gerrard reacts to the team's 4-2 Aberdeen win
“My understanding is a complaint was made and that’s why it was brought to the attention of the compliance officer. Who made the complaint is never disclosed, but it can be anyone, including a fan.
“Trial by Sportscene? Absolutely, no one is going to convince me otherwise. That is exactly what it is, as well as still photography.”
Meanwhile, Dempster has denied Hibs lack ambition following the departure of Neil Lennon.
The Easter Road club paraded new boss Paul Heckingbottom yesterday and Dempster said: “People have been saying to me, ‘The club’s not got any ambition,’ but what does that mean?
“We’re backing ourselves. We back the people here, the team here, we back the structure.
“What I really like about Paul is he’s hungry. I’m excited about this appointment.”