NEIL LENNON has called the SFA’s charge against Celtic “ridiculous” following the flashpoint incident in the 4-1 win over Hamilton Accies at the weekend.
The Hoops boss admitted he was surprised to hear the authorities believed the champions had failed to control their players in an incident that saw Leigh Griffiths and Alex Gogic booked by referee Nick Walsh.
Both clubs have been cited by the SFA after a brief fracas with the Scotland international striker and the Accies defender involved in a mini-skirmish following a tangle of legs with the comeback marksman and midfielder Sam Woods in the first-half.
Griffiths was told he will not face disciplinary action over the incident with the midfielder, despite accusations he stamped on his opponent.
That ruling merely added to Lennon’s reaction to discovering the club would be charged under disciplinary rule 204, which demands that players and staff conduct themselves in an orderly fashion during fixtures.
The Irishman, speaking in the Daily Record, said: “I thought it was ridiculous. We’ll wait and see what happens, but I didn’t think there was anything in it.
“The media didn’t even ask me about it, so I’m hoping nothing comes of it.
“For me, Leigh didn’t do anything wrong and there was no malice or intent. If there was, I’d be the first to say. Pushing [Alex Gogic] annoyed me, so I had a quick chat with him.
“In terms of the new charge, I’m surprised by it.”
CQN viewed the footage from the game relating to the incident again this morning. The entire pushing and shoving match between Griffiths and Gogic was over and done with in SIX seconds.
A yet the SFA deem it fit to make the charge of both clubs failing to control their players. For SIX seconds?
As boss Lennon says: “Ridiculous!”
The SFA hearing is scheduled for February 20 – the same evening Celtic face FC Copenhagen in Demark in the first leg of their last-32 encounter of the Europa League.
