The Scottish FA has used video evidence to punish a player for only the
third time since the power was introduced.
Rangers player Fernando Ricksen was today suspended for two matches and
given 12 penalty points for violent conduct towards Hibernian player
Derek Riordan in the CIS Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on 5 February.
The incident, which was missed by the match officials, was clearly
picked up on television. Members of the independent Review Panel watched
the incident and referred it to the SFA Disciplinary Committee, who met
at Hampden today.
Committee chairman Chris Robinson explained that the player will miss
his club's next two matches, and as the 12 penalty points take him over
the disciplinary threshhold he will also miss a further two matches from
30 March. The player has seven days to lodge an appeal against the
decision.
Fernando Ricksen was also found guilty of violent conduct by the
committee based on video evidence in season 2000-2001. The only other
player to be found guilty by the committee in this manner was Celtic's
Bobo Balde, in 2001-2002.