LONG READ: ‘Ludicrous’ Jim Goodwin ban shows system flaws, says former Aberdeen midfielder Steve Tosh

Former Pittodrie midfielder Steve Tosh has hit out at the SFA for  hammering Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin with a “ludicrous” eight-game ban.

Tosh insists Scottish football’s governing body have proven to be “inept on a regular basis” and the hefty ban is another own-goal.

Goodwin was hit with an immediate six-game ban with two matches suspended until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Tosh believes the SFA’s heavy handling of Goodwin’s ban for accusing Hibs’ Ryan Porteous of “blatant cheating” shows the disciplinary system is flawed.

Especially when the SFA and compliance officer Andrew Phillips took no action against Hearts’ manager Robbie Neilson for similar comments.

Neilson accused then Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson of “blatant cheating” in March this year.

Tosh reckons the failure to sanction Neilson will surely mean an appeal by Aberdeen on Goodwin’s ban will be an “open-and-shut case” in favour of the Dons.

Straight-talking Tosh fears managers could will now be cautious about giving an honest opinion for fear of heavy sanctions.

Tosh said: “The ban is absolutely ludicrous.

“However, should I be that surprised?

“We have a governing body, who, although they get certain things right, prove on a regular basis to be inept.

“They continue to prove we have a system that is flawed.”

Aberdeen confirmed they are appealing the severity of Goodwin’s ban.

Inconsistency with Hearts’ boss Robbie Neilson not punished

Tosh said: “The bit I’m struggling with is why the compliance officer deemed there was no need for investigation into Robbie Neilson’s comments about Lewis Ferguson.

“What did Jim say that was any different to what Robbie said?

“If Aberdeen argue Goodwin said this and got eight games, but Neilson said this and got zero – it is an open-and-closed case in my opinion.

“Surely it has to be overturned – but it should never have come to this.

🗣️ 'Blatant cheating…'

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson says Lewis Ferguson dived to win Aberdeen a penalty, and Sportscene analyses the incident ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/CIU9J7hK9O

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) March 3, 2022

“The SFA should be bold enough, big enough and ugly enough to stand on their own two feet.

“They shouldn’t hide behind a compliance officer. That’s all they are doing.

“I have a lot of time for Ian Maxwell (SFA chief executive), who is a really nice guy and played at the same time as me.

“He promised he would bring things forward under his tenure and I believed him as he is a football guy.

“He has played the game and should have been able to stand up and say we can’t do that. We are going to be hung out to try if we give Jim Goodwin an eight-game ban, based on the fact it should never have been a penalty and there was actually an incident last season where Neilson accused an Aberdeen player of cheating and we did nothing.

“He should be bold enough to say we don’t need a compliance officer for this.”

The SFA ‘s compliance officer Andrew Phillips will step down from his role next month.

His imminent departure was confirmed earlier this month with the SFA saying he had decided to “pursue other career opportunities”.

Phillips took up the role in February 2021 as he replaced Clare Whyte.

The SFA have began the recruitment process to appoint his successor.

Goodwin ‘an open and forthright manager’

Aberdeen manager Goodwin has already served the first game of his ban as he watched from the stands as Aberdeen lost 4-0 at Dundee United.

Goodwin will miss the upcoming matches against Hearts (home), Partick Thistle (h, League Cup), Motherwell (a), Rangers (a) and Hibs (h).

He will return to the dugout for the Premiership clash at Livingston on November 8.

Tosh said: “We have a situation where Jim Goodwin was asked a pertinent question after a game.

“You have one of the most open and forthright managers, who articulates himself very well.

“He was asked a question about an individual, who in recent weeks has covered himself in glory with Scotland.

“But before that he had a history of theatrics within the football field.

“Jim gave a reply along the lines of I told my players to look out for him.

“Did Scales fall for it? Ever so slightly.

“Did the referee fall for it? One hundred per cent.

“If Jim had said he didn’t want to answer the question, he would have looked bad and been hung out to dry for that.

“He was asked what he thought of the penalty incident and told the press his thoughts – and he got the incident spot on. There is no argument about that.”

Fear managers will now be silenced

Tosh believes the hefty sanction handed to Goodwin could be a landmark moment if it is not over-ruled on appeal.

If an eight-game ban is allowed to stand, he fears it will effectively gag Scottish managers from giving honest opinions.

The result will then be bland “toeing the party line” for fear of retribution.

Tosh said: “What did Jim say that most people didn’t agree with?

“If we continue to go down this route, we will get interviews that remind you of managers from days gone by. Where they never actually answer a question that is posed to them.

“If a manager is asked: ‘So what did you think about that penalty decision?’

“The reply will be: ‘I’m sorry I’m not going to talk about that because I will get into trouble from the SFA.’

“That will be the party line going forward and is not what we want.”

VAR would have prevented ban chaos

Footage of the incident clearly reveals Porteous putting his arm around Scales’ neck and dragging the Dons defender to the ground.

Scales was given a second yellow card by referee David Dickinson and sent off.

As the dismissal came from a second caution, there was no route for Aberdeen to appeal and the defender served a one game ban.

Aberdeen were leading 1-0 before that contentious incident at Easter Road.

Hibs converted the penalty and went on to win 3-1 against the 10-man Dons.

Tosh believes VAR (Video Assistant Referee) would have over-ruled the penalty, dismissal and subsequent chaos with Goodwin’s ban.

VAR is set for a Scottish Premiership debut when Hibernian take on St Johnstone on Friday October 21.

Tosh said: “VAR will be great because I would like to think the referee would have gone  to it and said no penalty.

“It is still a bit flawed, but it is 100 per cent better than what we have in Scotland as we have nothing.

“I don’t blame the referee. He has been hung out to dry, he only sees it on one occasion.

“I blame the system, the SFA, and Crawford Allan (SFA head of referee operations), who has said nothing since.”

Referees must give their opinions

Tosh, who played for Aberdeen from 2003 to 05, is frustrated by the silence from referees and the SFA after contentious issues.

He wants more transparency.

Tosh, 49, said: “What we can do in the aftermath of games is make sure the punished on the day are not punished further if a decision is wrong.

“I would like to see referees in a position where they can speak out more.

“The fact they go and hide is frustrating everyone.”

‘Be innovators’ and make referees answer post match questions

A solution to bring more transparency, insists Tosh, would be to make whistlers and the SFA’s head of referees available to talk to the press.

That way any contentious decisions can be explained, and potentially overturned.

Tosh suggests a system where clubs can ask two questions, from a pre-defined list agreed at the start of the season.

He said: “Why not be innovators for a change?

“Why not have a governing body that says they will put the referee in front of the press on Mondays?

“Rather than have a free-for-all, why not have it where two questions can be asked to  Crawford Allan and the referee about the game?

“You can’t ask anymore than that.

“Have questions set in stone before the start of the season so you cannot go off-piste.

“Certain questions where you can pick two that the referee or SFA Head of Referees has to answer.

“For example, one question could be: ‘do you believe the referee got the decision right on this occasion?’

“Questions have to be submitted on the night of a game to give Crawford Allan and the referee time to sit down to review the footage.

“And then come back to the press and give answers on a Monday.

“For example, with the Aberdeen-Hibs situation, the question could be: ‘Did the referee get the decision right for the penalty?’

“When things are in black and white. you see they have been given due care and consideration.

“At the moment many people just think these things get swept under the carpet.”