Widespread support for former Hibs’ striker James Keatings

Thousands of football fans have taken to social media in
support of former Hibs’ Scottish Cup winning striker James Keatings after he
was banned from the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final against Raith
Rovers on Saturday, March 28.

Keatings was shown a second yellow for simulation during Inverness
Caledonian Thistle’s 2-1 semi-final win over Rangers Colts on Sunday.

Video evidence clearly showed that he had been caught by
Ciaran Dickson, but a three-man Scottish FA panel of trained, independent
judicial panel members chose to uphold referee Greg Aitken’s decision.

Keatings, who had cancelled out Dapo Awokoya-Mebude’s opener
before being sent off for the first time in his career, will miss the final.

Hibs’ Chief Executive Leeann Dempster was amongst many in
the game who also criticised the decision.

The club who are managed by former Hearts’ legend John
Robertson issued the following statement yesterday.

“Following the decision by the 3 man Fast Track Tribunal
Panel to dismiss the club appeal against the yellow card awarded to James
Keatings by referee Greg Aitken during Sunday’s Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup
Semi-Final, the club has no option but to speak out publicly on behalf of our
player and on behalf of the growing number of Scottish football clubs who
believe that the SFA disciplinary process is not fit for purpose.

“In relation to the inexplicable decision to dismiss our
appeal this morning, one which will see James miss the Cup Final, we would like
to communicate with our support and to the many people who have contacted James
and the club since Sunday.

“Our appeal was submitted on Monday morning with our payment
for the right to appeal and video evidence of 3 different angles of the
incident, with the most enlightening angle shown at full speed and also in slow
motion. The referee also submitted his reply to the appeal and within that, he
states that from his angle, he believed there had been no contact made by the
defender on James and this led him to believe that James had thrown himself to
the ground in an attempt to deceive him, therefore he deemed it to be an act of
simulation, hence the decision.

“We do not want to question anyone’s integrity in this
statement and therefore if we set what we do or do not believe aside, it could
certainly be argued that this position is plausible.  The video evidence however removes all doubt
from the situation and it was this evidence with which we confidently based our
case on. As far as we were concerned, once the 3 man panel viewed the video
evidence, coupled with the fact that the referee himself was stating that he
only made the decision based on his personal view, albeit that he was only a
few yards away and not the vastly superior and different video angles, justice
and sporting integrity would surely prevail.

“James Keatings has never been booked for simulation in his
entire career and Sunday’s red card was also the first in his career. The
player himself was devastated by the decision on Sunday and has been contacted
by many players, ex-players, the PFA and multiple journalists and friends, all
of whom believed that justice would be done by the panel. This scenario
represented the exact situation that these protocols were set up to address.

“When the club was given the news this morning that the
appeal had not only be dismissed but that James had in fact been adjudged to
have committed simulation, we were both incredulous and furious in equal
measure. We would once again re-iterate that we do not want to call into
question anyone’s integrity with this statement but we must call into question
the actual football knowledge of those sitting in judgement on all Scottish
football players under this current system. If the individuals involved in this
morning’s Tribunal can watch the footage we supplied, footage which the whole
of Scottish football has now seen and call this simulation, then there can be
no other conclusion other than they do not understand football or the rules of
the game. As harsh as this sounds, there can be no other conclusion. Fans and
officials of all clubs are mystified by this decision.

“This decision has cost our player the chance to play in a
national Cup Final, not something that comes along every week, to the detriment
of the player, his team mates, the club and our fans. We believe it also
damages the credibility of our governing body and brings the game into
disrepute. The decision is plainly wrong and the dogs in the street know this.
We have no right to appeal this final decision and it is painful to accept.

“As a club we have been contacted by Chairmen, Chief
Executives, Directors and fans of other clubs today in a completely unique show
of support and solidarity with James Keatings and ICTFC. As appreciated as this
has been undoubtedly been, it does not change the fact that there is clearly
something wrong with the system, if it is not addressed, we are all responsible
for the continuing denigration of our standards, our supporters view of the
national game and sporting integrity in Scottish football.”