Gordon Smith, Rangers' director of football, last night insisted he stands by the decision he took when SFA chief executive to crack down on simulation in the Scottish game, even though a second successful appeal could leave the association's attempts to combat diving in tatters.
The Ibrox club announced yesterday they would reject the fixed-penalty two-game suspension compliance officer Vincent Lunny offered Sone Aluko after reviewing footage of the penalty awarded to Rangers during Saturday's 2-1 win over Dunfermline Athletic at Ibrox, when Aluko tumbled after a coming-together with Martin Hardie.
Aluko has been cited for a breach of Rule 202, which states that 'no player shall cause a match official to make an incorrect decision and/or support an error of judgment on the part of a match official by an act of simulation', but sources at Ibrox insist that they will take the matter to a judicial panel tribunal, which will be heard tomorrow afternoon. That three-man tribunal, which will be made up of a former referee, player and manager selected from 100 individuals on the SFA's agreed list, will then decide whether Aluko dived to try to con referee Steve Conroy, or whether it was a legitimate spot-kick award.
If Aluko's appeal fails, he will be banned for the game with Hibernian this weekend, and the encounter with Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Ibrox on December 17. If it succeeds, as the case relating to Garry O'Connor did following another alleged incident of simulation in Hibs' win over St Johnstone earlier in the season, it would be a further blow to the SFA's attempts to tackle the issue.
"If the player is guilty of simulation I would have no problems with him being banned for it," insisted Smith, who was out of the country last weekend and has yet to see the incident. "I didn't bring it in to protect certain people. But I did realise at the time it would have to be clear cut, that there would be scenarios where players would be mildly touched. I did think it would have to be a case almost of no contact whatsoever had to be proved.
"Where there is contact, even if it is minimal, it becomes difficult. It is difficult to prove that the contact itself wasn't responsible for the player coming down. I think after the Garry O'Connor case then every single case will most likely be appealed. But I am very much of the general principle that it should still be dealt with."
"I wanted to improve behaviour in the game," Smith added. "I am totally against simulation and cheating by players. I think we should have got more support right through the levels of the game. When I was the chief executive of the SFA, I decided to try to make a personal stand on it but we are probably one of the only countries that have brought anything like this in. I spoke up at various Fifa and Uefa meetings about it and I was amazed at the attitude that it was part of the game."
Aluko strongly denied he had taken a dive on Saturday, stating that he felt contact from Hardie that was enough to send him over as he ran at full speed into the box. TV pictures showed minimal contact, and it now remains to be seen if the tribunal will favour the SFA, or Aluko's interpretation.
In September, Rangers' Steven Naismith was cited by Lunny after he was caught on TV elbowing Dunfermline's Austin McCann off the ball at a corner. The club accepted the two-game ban offered on that occasion.
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