Rangers trio await SFA rulings

11 April 2011 15:30

Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist, defender Madjid Bougherra and forward El-Hadji Diouf will learn on Tuesday what punishment they face for their part in last month's volatile Scottish Cup fifth-round loss at Celtic.

The Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee will convene and discuss the events of the March 2 match, which resulted in Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond hosting a summit at the request of Strathclyde Police.

McCoist and Celtic manager Neil Lennon were on March 10 charged with misconduct after a touchline scuffle between the pair at the final whistle of the fixture at Parkhead. Rangers appealed against McCoist's two-match ban, while Lennon was already the subject of a four-match ban and the charge triggered an additional four-match suspension.

However, the SFA later conceded Lennon's ban would run concurrently, rather than consecutively, following a legal challenge by Celtic, and the Bhoys boss will return to the dugout on Tuesday night at St Johnstone after completing his touchline suspension on Saturday.

McCoist, whose appeal allowed him to be on the touchline for the Co-operative Insurance Cup final defeat of Celtic, will now learn his fate on Tuesday, with the prospect the ban could be upheld, reduced or increased.

Bougherra and Diouf face charges of "misconduct of a significantly serious nature" and any ban would hamper Rangers' title challenge, with Walter Smith's men two points behind Celtic with six games remaining.

Algeria international defender Bougherra, currently out with a hamstring problem, was one of two Rangers players sent off in the game, while on-loan Blackburn forward Diouf followed after the final whistle.

Bougherra was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time and reacted angrily, appearing to try to prevent referee Calum Murray from showing his cards.

Lennon and Diouf took part in a running feud throughout the match, which the Celtic boss says began when the Senegal international blocked the Bhoys physio when he ran on to the pitch to treat an injured player. That incident led to a touchline confrontation which saw Diouf booked, and he was shown a second yellow card by Murray for dissent after the final whistle.

Tuesday's meeting is not expected to consider the Fir Park fracas which saw Motherwell chairman John Boyle and his former manager Craig Brown, now boss at Aberdeen, in an angry confrontation. That is set to be discussed next month.

Source: PA