Rangers ‘lies’ outburst live on the BBC gets Richard Foster hit with Motherwell ban

Richard Foster has been hit with a six-game ban after his Rangers outburst during the win over St Johnstone, STV reports.

 

According to the outlet’s website on 13 September the Motherwell coach has been ordered to miss four matches immediately, with another two suspended, after a disciplinary hearing held on 12 September.

Foster, a former Gers player, reacted to controversy around Cyriel Dessers’ goal on 17 August in his capacity as a BBC pundit to a Scottish FA explanation on referee Matthew MacDermid potentially signalling for a free-kick before the ball was put in the net.

 

He said: “Lies! It’s a lie. Unless he puts the whistle to his mouth for no reason”.

 

Foster later apologised for the comments but as a member of a club they brought a disciplinary charge.

Cyriel Dessers scored in Rangers win over St Johnstone

Referees chief Willie Collum was critical of MacDermid’s “body language” in his review of VAR decisions for the Scottish FA’s YouTube channel on 11 September but backed the correct decision to award the goal.

 

Collum himself has drawn negative focus in the past when it comes to body language in Rangers matches.

The official had infuriated Craig Levein and his players who insisted he had signalled for a foul prior to the goal being scored, with claims subsequently made by the likes of Michael Stewart (19 August) that there had been two whistles.

It was a messy sequence from MacDermid where he seemingly tried to override his immediate reaction, by which time it was too late not to cause controversy either way.

 

But Foster was always going to find himself in hot water, rightly or wrongly, if he branded the official explanation as “lies”.

No matter how great the error might be governing bodies never tolerate any suggestion of anything deliberate to officiating mistakes.

 

He ultimately admitted to getting caught up in the moment “more as a fan rather than a pundit” and “shouldn’t have implied that there was anything going on with the SFA statement” [STV, 13 September].

 

In other Rangers news, a confirmed update on transfer offers for James Tavernier has been issued.

 

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