As the SFA Judiciary Panel found Albian Ajeti’s allegation of “simulation” not proven yesterday, the debate still rumbles on whether it was simulation or a “soft” penalty. The facts are simple. There was no simulation. There was contact. It was a penalty. It doesn’t the level of contact or if it was a flying kung-fu kick to the chest. The contact was made and it was a penalty. End of.
So imagine my surprise when Gordon Dalziel says that Ajeti “still took advantage” of the situation on last nights live radio phone in show, Clyde 1 Superscoreboard. Dalziel remarked, “I don’t blame anybody for trying to advantage especially inside the box. What I’m saying is he’s not the first, and he won’t be the last. You know, the old phrase “a typical centre forward, feel the touch you go down” and hope that the referee sides with you. And that’s exactly what the boy done. He got his reward because Edouard scores the penalty.”
“But if you’re asking me if I’m the opposite, a player or manager, I’m saying that so dive, but if I’m the manager of Celtic I’m thinking, well, he’s my centre forward, he feels the touch, he’s went down, and he’s been rewarded with the penalty”.
Co-pundit, Roger Hannah was more philosophical about the incident and didn’t lay any blame on the officials but he did question the need for the SFA to cite the Swiss striker on a charge for simulation, “To be fair to the officials, I watched the game live on television. And when the incident happened, I thought well that’s a penalty.
So that’s the kind of look he (Kevin Clancy) gets at it. It’s not until you see it two or three or 20 times more, that you can form a view on it so I don’t think there’s any blame attached to the official at the time.
“But is it really one that the compliance officer should have been prosecuting?”
Hannah has it right on the money. What was the thought process behind this charge when there was clear video evidence of no wrong doing by Ajeti? The Celtic board need to be asking questions of the process and be holding the governing body to account.
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