Partick Thistle demand answers after being denied substitute
Last updated 29th Jul 2024
Partick Thistle are looking for answers after being denied the chance to bring on a striker during a must-win Premier Sports Cup tie against Motherwell because of a system failure.
Thistle were told they could not bring on Ricco Diack during the goalless draw because he was not on the teamlines, but it later emerged fourth official Greg Soutar had failed to spot the 19-year-old's name on the app because his name was on the second page of the screenshot.
The new digital system for registering team sheets has been brought in as part of a wider installation of the Scottish Football Association's online Comet system for administrative issues.
Thistle confirmed they had written to the SFA as well as the Scottish Professional Football League, the competition organiser, "inviting a full explanation" of Sunday's blunder.
A statement added: "The introduction of the Comet system has been a testing time for clubs across the country so we could sympathise with the match officials if they had been affected by a similar issue from the change in technology in the Scottish game.
"The fourth official confirmed he had used a screenshot from the automated PDF as a reference for teamlines and also admitted that he had noted Motherwell's ninth substitute in his notepad.
"We find it impossible to believe that a screenshot can contain Motherwell's ninth substitute and not ours with both players listed on the exact same text line.
"It has become clear to us that the processes being followed by match officials for the submission of teamlines through the new system are insufficient.
"We understand that a number of the match officials refereeing our fixtures so far this season will be using the system for the first time, but there needs to be a system of accountability to ensure fairness and transparency for all clubs.
"We have written to the SPFL and Scottish FA today to request an explanation for this situation which has placed us at a sporting disadvantage and materially impacted the game by not allowing us to field an attacking player onto the field of play, a player who already has a proven track record of delivering positive attacking play and goals during their time on the pitch."
The SFA has not yet responded to an earlier request for comment on the situation from the PA news agency.
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