Motherwell have announced their intention to appeal the penalty imposed on chairman John Boyle following his touchline altercation with Aberdeen boss Craig Brown.
The flashpoint occurred when Boyle approached his former employee immediately after Motherwell's 2-1 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win last month. Boyle shook hands with Brown but put his other arm around the former Scotland manager's neck and whispered in his ear and a spat ensued.
Brown was warned about his conduct but escaped punishment following a Scottish Football Association disciplinary committee meeting, while Boyle, who is stepping down at the end of the season, was fined £2,500 and "severely warned as to his future conduct". Motherwell have vowed to challenge the ruling.
A statement on the club's official website www.motherwellfc.co.uk read: "The club can confirm that it has received notification from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) that chairman John Boyle has been fined £2,500 and severely censured after being found guilty of 'behaving in an inappropriate and inflammatory manner towards the opposing team's club official' at a hearing in Glasgow.
"Motherwell FC is surprised at this outcome and fully intend to appeal the decision at the earliest possible opportunity."
Brown and his assistant Archie Knox, who left Motherwell to take over at Pittodrie in December, have launched a £25,000 legal action against the Lanarkshire club over unpaid bonuses for the club's Co-operative Insurance Cup run.
The pair led Motherwell to a quarter-final win in October but had left the club, where they had not signed a contract, before the semi-final.
Source: PA
