Fraser Wishart, head of the players' union in Scotland, has backed the decision not to increase Steve Simonsen's ban for gambling, insisting the nature of the Rangers keeper's offence did not deserve a longer sentence.

 

The SFA appealed against Simonsen's original sanction of a one-match ban and a further one game suspended until the end of the season, with compliance officer Tony McGlennan deeming it 'unduly lenient'.

The 35-year-old was found guilty of betting on a total of 50 matches, five fewer than the original charge, with the punishment contrasting with the total 10-match ban previously handed down to Ibrox team-mate Ian Black and the eventual four-match suspension given to then Ayr United striker Michael Moffat.

However, a hearing of the Appellate Tribunal upheld the original discipline on Wednesday, a move Wishart believes was just, even if neither he nor Simonsen are permitted to clarify why.

The chief executive of PFA Scotland said: "I'm actually bound by the SFA judicial panel regulations and not able to explain the mitigating circumstances behind it.

"So, like many things that go on at the judicial panel hearings it's difficult for people outside to understand what's going on.

"But I thought it was a fair and reasonable suspension from the outset.

"We have to remember that the SFA changed their regulations after the Ian Black situation, where the suspended part could not be greater than the actual suspension.

"So, the original panel members were limited in what they could actually award in terms of sanctions, and I thought one game with one game suspended was very fair.

"You have to take it on a case-by-case basis. Every person's circumstances are individual.

"We're not allowed to talk about the circumstances surrounding Steve's individual case, but he feels he would certainly prefer to explain what actually happened, because when people could understand the level of the bets involved they would find, the same as me, the sanction to be fair."

Officials from PFA Scotland have been round every league club in the country this season to reiterate the SFA's hard-line stance on gambling.

And Wishart added: "Players are not allowed to bet on football, full stop. Nor are managers, nor are coaches, nor are referees, nor are football administrators, nor are club employees.

"I think our members would like to see the rules softened slightly, but the rule's there and they are not allowed to bet on professional football at all.

"Certainly our advice to all our members is to stay away from it."