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CELTIC SHOWDOWN OVER STRACHAN BAN

NO SWEARING: Gordon Strachan

Wednesday September 26,2007

By Jim McLean

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CELTIC are on course for a showdown with the SFA by refusing to accept their bid to ban manager Gordon Strachan from the dugout.

Now they going to an Independent Tribunal in an all-out bid to clear their manager's name. Should that attempt fail, the Scottish Champions might well consider going outwith football and take the case to the law courts. It has all the makings of a major bust-up between the Glasgow club and the governing body of Scottish football.
The tough stance taken by Celtic came within hours of Strachan having only partial success in his appeal against the original four-match ban which was reduced to two matches by the SFA Disciplinary Committee. This suspension was imposed after the Hoops boss was sent to the stand by referee Stuart Dougal during the premier league game against Hearts on April 29 at Celtic Park.
Last night a Celtic spokesman said: "Clearly the club is surprised and disappointed with the decision and we will be lodging an appeal." This further appeal will enable Strachan to be in the dugout for tonight's CIS Cup tie against First Division Dundee at Dens Park.
Last night an SFA official confirmed : “Under the rules, if the Celtic manager chooses to take it further it will go to an independent appeals tribunal. ”
Strachan has protested his innocence from the outset when he was dismissed by referee Dougal after a verbal exchange involving Hearts winger Neil McCann.
He said at the time: “It could have been sarcasm but there were no swear words directed to the referee whatsoever and the fourth official can back that up. It cannot be for aggressive behaviour, it cannot be for swearing because I never swore, I was speaking to Neil McCann.”
Strachan still has another appeal against charges of touchline indiscipline to be dealt with after being “red carded” and sent to the stand by referee Charlie Richmond after a dispute with a steward during their 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie on August 19.

No date has been fixed for that appeal hearing - the third time he has been in bother over touchline indiscipline – and that signals he will be in the dugout for the Old Firm clash against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday October 20.
Express Sport understands that the next meeting of the Disciplinary committee is scheduled for October 23 – the day before Celtic play Benfica in the Champions League in Lisbon. There's little chance of that hearing being arranged before then and, in all likelihood, Strachan will have to wait until November at the earliest for the case to be heard. If found guilty he will be hit with a lengthy four-game ban.
Strachan first hit trouble with the SFA at the start of last season when he was hit with a two-match ban for an outburst during a league game against Hearts.