The SFA’s decision to offer Josh Meekings a retrospective ban for his handball in Sunday’s semi final is the hotttest talking point in Scottish football, with the SFA coming under fire from supporters across Scotland who believe the Caley Thistle defender has been unfairly treated.
Meekings blocked Leigh Griffiths’ goalbound header with his arm, referee Steven McLean and his assistants failed to spot the incident but Meekings has now been offered a one game ban which would keep him out of the Scottish Cup final.
Complaints have been raised for a number of reasons, with many fans believing the SFA have only issued the punishment because of a complaint from Celtic.
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However, the biggest complaint comes in relation to the fact that this is the first time, certainly in Scottish football, that a player has been retrospectively punished and banned for a handball.
So why has Meekings been punished? Was his handball the very worst we’ve ever seen? We don’t think so…
Diego Maradona
It remains one of football’s great mysteries – did Diego Maradona use his hand to score against England? Certain camera angles suggest the little Argentine magician did in fact use his hand – yet no retrospective action was ever brought against him.
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry may be one of the greatest strikers in the modern era but fans in Ireland will never be able to forgive the Frenchman for the handball which denied the Irish a place at the 2010 World Cup.
With the Irish and the French tied in extra time of the World Cup play-off, Henry controlled the ball with his hand before sending the ball across goal for William Gallas to convert and break Irish hearts.
Bruna
While the men’s game has had its fair share of dodgy handball decisions, not many top this gem at the women’s World Cup.
Australia nearly scored against Equatorial Guinea, the ball hit the post and Guinea defender Bruna picked up the rebound with her hands in a rather bizarre incident.
Bruna then dropped the ball but the officials seemed to completely miss the incident and waved play on.
Liam Brownhill
But it isn’t just in World Cups and Scottish Cup semi finals that we see officials missing handballs.
This handball in an FA Trophy match is our favourite ‘missed handball’. It is worth adding that Droylsden’s Liam Brownhill was not reprimanded after the incident.