Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. vs Celtic F.C. // SC Semi Final

[bpdon]

Handball should always be dealt with retrospectively, IF:

• It denied the opposing team or an opponent a goal or an obvious goal scoring opportunity; AND
• The referee and his assistants didn't see it.

But that's a pretty high threshold to meet. Meekings's handball meets it. There aren't many handballs that do.

The leap of faith being that we believe what the officials say if the compliance officer bothers to ask if they saw it.

In this instance, it's still pretty difficult to accept none of them saw the hand ball. That said, they still saw enough to make a judgement, which was that it hit his face. So they did see the incident but made an arse of it.

Are we moving into an area where we determine what the ref saw based on what he called incorrectly?

[Stephen Malkmus]

Ronny Deila on SSN saying Meekings shouldn't be banned. Good lad.

[lichtie23]

Ronny Deila on SSN saying Meekings shouldn't be banned. Good lad.

Yea good to hear.

[Monkey Tennis]

The whole thing is utterly shameful.

While there's a logic in suggesting that he'd have missed the final anyway, had officials spotted the offence; it's the fact that penalising a player for handball retrospectively is unprecedented in our game, that makes this an act of weak folly.

Of course it's related to the prolonged bleating that the incident provoked, a bleating that we simply would not have seen, had it been another club.

Celtic obviously can't be re-instated, but the SFA can find this cowardly way of being seen to respond to their gripes.

It's terrible for our game - the enshrined right of bullies to bully.

It's disgusting.

[Monkey Tennis]

When Celtic are involved these rockets will never calm down, small minded, petty dipsticks motivated by their hatred of a football team. f**k every one of them.

Switching from the BRALT to here feels pretty seamless.

[ICTJohnboy]

The whole thing is utterly shameful.

While there's a logic in suggesting that he'd have missed the final anyway, had officials spotted the offence; it's the fact that penalising a player for handball retrospectively is unprecedented in our game, that makes this an act of weak folly.

Would you accept that the "offence" was spotted and that the ref's decision was that it was not deliberate handball?

[strichener]

It is absolutely ridiculous if the CO is claiming that the referee didn't see this. It is clear that the referee is looking at the players so whilst he might not have seen a handball, he did see the incident.

[TheScarf]

Don't think any footballer/manager would want to see a fellow pro banned for a mistake a ref made. The only people you'll see wanting him banned is the Celtic fans, who every single one is a raging simpleton, and the SFA board, who every single one is a raging simpleton

[hellbhoy]

Just whizzed past the last three or so pages.

I fully expect Josh Meekings to be playing in the final.

This is just a farce.

[Nightmare]

Just whizzed past the last three or so pages.

I fully expect Josh Meekings to be playing in the final.

This is just a farce.

If it's possible, that would make these muppets even more of a joke.

[1320Lichtie]

The Hoops boss said: "It doesn't help us if someone gets banned. I don't think that's right

"I don't think he did it on purpose, the ball was going very quickly.

"It was reaction, but it was a clear hand ball, a red card and a penalty.

"I hope that he will play, the best players should always play in the final.

"I don't think it is a positive thing to ban anybody."

Ronny Deila = Good Guy*

* apart from when he does the 'Ronny Roar'

[hellbhoy]

If it's possible, that would make these muppets even more of a joke.

The FIFA head of referees has stated the SFA are heading into choppy waters with this. The ref had a good view and gave no penalty for handball at the time and must have deemed it ball to hand at the time.

A few mugs complain to the club and the club acts and then the SFA totally fcuk it up by pandering to the mugs who couldn't take a beating.

If they are going to retrospectively punish Meekings for this then why stop there !, every incident on the park the ref never took action for could be deemed an infringement and can later be retrospectively looked at.

The SFA will look so fucking stupid if this gets overturned. And I'll expect Twatter and InYerFaceBook to be inundated with seething Celtic supporters.

[ShaggerG]

Your opinion counts for nothing, sorry.

Yea, sadly you're right. It's still my opinion though and it counts to me.

Why would it be a penalty at all if it was ball played man.

If we're going to give forwards penalties for driving the ball against players hands then that's all forwards are going to do.

Under the rule currently the hand ball needs to be deliberate for the penalty to be given (although we see incidents almost weekly that proves this doesn't always happen in practice), however IMO this shouldn't always be the case. If a player is standing on the line and accidentally stops the ball from going in therefore preventing a certain goal (as in the Meekings case) I feel the penalty should be awarded. As it was accidental however I don't think he should even be booked never mind sent off.

For the avoidance of doubt though this is purely my opinion of how I think the law should be applied.

[banana]

What an absolute fucking shitshow. Embarrassing.

[top six next year]

Falkirk Looked like a well-organised side against Queen of the South, I'm confident we'll beat them in the final though.

Just to add if Meekings is out, I won't be so confident.

[Savage Henry]

I find it astonishing that so many cannot get their heads around this fairly straightforward rule regarding intent.

Because it doesn't have to be intentional by any dictionary definition of intent. A guy can have absolutely no intent to handle to ball but it can still be "deliberate". A player with his hands in an un-natural position and his back turned to the ball, for example.

That said, it's a moot point because Meekings clearly meant to handle the ball, and should have been sent off for deliberate handball. He really doesn't have much of a case, other than an emotional one.

You very rarely see a player wilfully handle the ball, but this was a case. It seems to me that the kerfuffle is because it's a handball and not a violent foul that retrospective action is being taken , thus it's less important. Did Meekings cheat? Yes. Was it deliberate? Yes. Did it effect the result? Yes. Did the referee see it? No.

[craigkillie]

Would you accept that the "offence" was spotted and that the ref's decision was that it was not deliberate handball?

The "offence" is denying a clear goalscoring opportunity (or a goal) by deliberately handling the ball. The referees did not spot that offence being committed.

[craigkillie]

Just to prove I'm not biased. What about when anderson punched it over the line against Motherwell at fir park last season. No compliance officer action then, despite it being raised at the time.

That's not a red card offence, so it can't be cited by the compliance officer.

I'm not sure how many times that needs to be repeated.

[Monkey Tennis]

Would you accept that the "offence" was spotted and that the ref's decision was that it was not deliberate handball?

Pretty irrelevant I think.

It's less a question of intent, more of this 'unnatural position' lark.

I don't think he meant to block the ball with his right hand, but I think he was making himself big, in the way a goalkeeper does, and this is what blocked the ball. I also think that the officials genuinely missed it.

When watched back in real time, it really isn't that clear, unless you're looking specifically for it, which of course, nobody was.

My problem however, does not relate to the minutiae of the incident itself. It's all to do with the fact that players have only been punished in this way for violent acts towards others in the past. In this case and in my view, due to the profile of the game and the identity of the 'victim', the SFA are prepared to create a precedent.

That people, is the unpalatable point here.

[stonedsailor]

"I don't think he did it on purpose, the ball was going very quickly.

"It was reaction, but it was a clear hand ball, a red card and a penalty.

If top managers don't know the laws of the game I guess the fuckwits posting on here who don't know the rules are in good company.