STEVE Clarke, the Kilmarnock manager, launched another critical attack on the SFA by telling them to do the jobs they’re paid to do and take responsibility for the running of Scottish football.

Clarke was reacting to the decision not to rescind a red card awarded to Kris Boyd at Aberdeen on Saturday, the second ordering off the club failed to have overturned this season. Gary Dicker did not get a controversial red card rescinded in August.

And after this latest SFA decision to go against his team, the Kilmarnock manager took a swipe at those at the top of the Scottish game who he felt passed on responsibility on such matters by asking former referees and managers to judge incidents such as disputed red cards.

Clarke said: “I’m quite sure of the fact that the people who are paid to run the game in Scotland should be capable of running the game in Scotland instead of going around and canvassing managers who are not paid by the SFA.

“They should do their own jobs. It’s up to them to put their house in order and get things right. They can ask the opinion of managers but the SFA and people in charge of the game have to take responsibility.

“I don’t know if you’re input means anything or not. You don’t know how they are going to proceed. I know they asked Lenny (Neil Lennon) to join a panel – I’m not sure he will want to do that anymore.

“But like I say, it’s their job, they have to put the game right. That’s what they are paid for.”

The Kilmarnock manager was invited to attend the meeting about Boyd but his wife “the real boss” was in Scotland and he’s already made plans.

Boyd will now sit out two games, starting from tonight’s home Premiership match with Hearts. The striker was late with his challenge on Graeme Shinnie but his manager believed a booking by referee Nick Walsh would have been sufficient.

Clarke said: “I sat here in August and went thought what I thought were some flaws in the system up here. I got hauled over the coals for it.

“I’m not trying to create anything between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, but there is a tackle early in the game which was as bad as Kris’s if not worse – he gets a yellow card. Kris gets a red. I can’t for the life of me work that out.

“The inconsistency shown by the referee… he would look at both challenges and say, ‘well I gave a yellow for that one, it should be a yellow for that one.’ It seems to be they don’t want to rescind their decisions, whether it makes them look worse than they already are.

“I haven’t got the explanation yet. I was told on Wednesday the appeal had been rejected. To be honest, we didn’t expect to win it. They have shown their hand over the course of the season, with other clubs and ourselves, they don’t like to admit they were wrong.”

Clarke insisted he would always appeal if he felt it was justified despite it costing several thousand pounds to go through the process.

He said: “You owe it to your player, you owe it to the rest of the clubs to ask the question. If you think the decision is wrong and don’t ask the question because of a financial penalty, then that would be wrong.

“If you think the referee has made the wrong decision then you have to ask the question.”

Away from the SFA and back to the football, a win for Kilmarnock over Hearts this evening would return the Ayrshire side to second place in the Premiership, at least until Rangers play St Mirren on Saturday afternoon.

The Killie boss has brought in former Wigan defender Alex Bruce on a short-term deal and Fleetwood forward Conor McAleny on loan until the end of the season, while keeping the players he wanted to.

It is somewhat ironic Clarke has made Kilmarnock such a happy club to be at when he himself is not one for smiling.

The manager plays up the part of being sullen but he’s far from the dour character which has become his public persona. If he was glum then how could he make so many people be cheerful?

Clarke said: “We’re pretty much where I thought we would be. I’m delighted with the backing I’ve had from the club and almost all of my players are happy here. I’m pleased with the work we’ve done in the window and looking forward to seeing how we do during the rest of the season.

“It’s part of the job (keeping people happy) but not the whole thing. You have to be prepared to upset some players at certain times and not everyone will be happy – at the moment I have 23 outfield players and three goalkeepers and I can only pick 11 of them.

“But I find if you’re honest and straightforward with footballers it makes your job a little bit easier. As a manager, my door is never closed.”