Aberdeen push for changes to Scottish Football Association's appeals process
Dons make their move after talks over Graeme Shinnie ban
Last updated 21st Apr 2023
Aberdeen will lead a push for changes to the Scottish Football Association's appeals process after accepting defeat over Graeme Shinnie's four-match ban.
Shinnie was handed an additional one-game ban by an independent panel after the Dons' appeal against his red card in Dingwall on Friday night was deemed to have had "no prospect of success".
Aberdeen had been in talks with the SFA following the outcome from Tuesday night's hearing but their attempts to soften Shinnie's punishment were doomed to fail.
However, they are keen to institute general change after PFA Scotland claimed many of its members had lost faith in the system and argued that the threat of an additional ban was used to discourage appeals.
An Aberdeen statement read: "Following our request to the Scottish FA for Graeme Shinnie's appeal to be re-heard by a freshly constituted fast-track tribunal, we have been informed that this has been dismissed.
"We now have no further recourse, so Graeme will miss the next four Scottish Premiership matches.
"We have taken the temperature of several Premiership clubs and will now pro-actively work with clubs and the Scottish FA to bring about sensible and positive governance changes for the benefit of Scottish football.
"Supporters deserve to see a consistency and transparency in decision-making"
"Supporters, the lifeblood of our game, deserve to see a consistency and transparency in decision-making. Aberdeen FC is ready to play its part in a constructive and timely manner."
The SFA later published the tribunal's written reasons for the refusal to overturn the red card, which was handed out after Shinnie followed through in a challenge on Ross County defender Jack Baldwin.
The three-strong panel unanimously decided to impose the extra suspension.
They wrote: "The Fast Track Tribunal could not reasonably deduce from the evidence presented, that the opposing player was not endangered by the player's actions as submitted. To do so, was entirely unreasonable and implausible.
"It was also unanimously rejected that the player did not lunge, did not use excessive force and was in control of his movement on the evidence presented. For those reasons, we felt that the Claim had no prospect of success."
Shinnie was sent off following a VAR intervention and Aberdeen wide player Jonny Hayes claims the use of the technology is having a negative impact on the cinch Premiership.
When asked about the situation surrounding Shinnie, Hayes said: "I need to be careful what I say but it's been a bit of a farce if I'm being honest.
"It's frustrating. The bigger picture for me as a player is the way the game is going and the way VAR is used. It's just taking the enjoyment out of football.
"Speaking to football players that I know in this country and different countries, fans, family members, friends, I think we are going a bit over the top with it.
"The game is stop-start. Even the Ross County game, it was so stop-start that it actually killed any Ross County momentum. I spoke to a couple of their players and that's how I'd feel as well.
"I am not enjoying the use of VAR. If it was just me that felt that way, I'd be like 'Well Jonny, just get on with it'. But I know there's a lot of people that feel the same way."
Hayes would not argue with PFA Scotland's assessment of the appeals system.
"The PFA speak on behalf of the majority of football players"
"Again I have to be careful what I say, but all I can say is the PFA speak on behalf of the majority of football players," the Irishman said. "I fully understand their statement.
"For me the most disheartening thing about the club appealing Graeme's red card was you knew there was probably little or no chance of it being overturned, because I have been part of an appeals process and I tend towards listening to what the PFA have to say."
Shinnie will sit out Sunday's visit of Rangers as Aberdeen go for a seventh straight win.
Hayes said: "You have got to be confident going into any football match.
"Rangers are a good side, there is no doubt about that, they have some fantastic individual players but it's 11 against 11 and we are at home so we will obviously look to impose our style on the game. We will be confident on the back of the run we are on."