During the last Old Firm Derby, Rangers man Jon Flanagan was booked by referee Kevin Clancy for elbowing Celtic’s Scott Brown.
But everyone watching the match was expecting a red card to come out of the referee’s pocket.
Speaking after the game, Celtic captain Scott Brown told the media that the referee had actually told him the reason why he refused to give Jon Flanagan his marching orders.
Brown, speaking to the Daily Record, said: “Another one to the face. Surprisingly, somebody didn’t see that again.
“But there’s always a linesman there who can see it from the corner flag. There are two people there, both said they didn’t properly see it, so it’s a hard one for them.
“He (Clancy) said it was a yellow because it didn’t hit me in the face. But it’s part and parcel. At the end of the day, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.”
This decision had caused a fair bit of stir after the derby following which the SFA reviewed the footage and chose to hand Jon Flanagan a two-match ban.
Rangers though wasted no time in appealing for the ban against Jon Flanagan to be overturned and now the Gers have come out victorious.
Celtic have since gone on to criticize the decision from the SFA with a Hoops spokesperson saying: “This whole matter is a huge embarrassment for Scottish football”
So Football Scotland took matters into their own hands and tried to find out the rule due to which the ban on Jon Flanagan was overturned.
And as per their report, violent conduct is classed: “When a player uses or attempts to use excessive force or brutality against an opponent when not challenging for the ball, or against a team-mate. team official, match official, spectator or any other person, regardless of whether contact was made.”
“In addition, a player who, when not challenging for the ball, deliberately strikes an opponent or any other person on the head or face with the hand or arm, is guilty of violent conduct unless the force used was negligible.”
IFAB define brutality as: “An act which is savage, ruthless or deliberately violent.”
