St Mirren manager Craig McLeish is facing a Hampden hearing after the Scottish Football Association hit him with a formal charge over comments he made about a match official.
The Paisley boss found himself in hot water following St Mirren’s Premier Sports Cup defeat to Dunfermline, where he publicly criticised the referee’s performance after the final whistle. Those remarks have now landed him in front of the SFA compliance officer, with a disciplinary hearing set to follow.
It is not unusual for managers to vent frustration after a tough result, but the SFA has strict rules around public criticism of officials, and McLeish’s words were deemed to have crossed a line. Managers across the Scottish game have faced similar charges in recent seasons as the governing body looks to protect referees from what it considers damaging public scrutiny.
McLeish has been in charge at St Mirren and will now have to front up at Hampden to answer the charge. Depending on how the hearing goes, he could face a touchline ban, a fine, or both.
St Mirren had hoped to progress in the Premier Sports Cup, but the defeat to Dunfermline ended that ambition early. The frustration of that result clearly spilled over into McLeish’s post-match comments, which have now created a fresh headache for the club off the pitch.
The SFA has not yet confirmed a date for the hearing, but it is expected to be scheduled in the coming weeks. McLeish will have the opportunity to present his case and contest the charge if he chooses to do so.
Scottish football has seen a growing number of these kinds of cases in recent years, with the governing body taking a firmer stance on how managers and players speak about referees in public. Critics argue the rules can feel heavy-handed when a manager is simply reacting in the heat of the moment, but the SFA maintains that protecting officials from public attacks is essential for the health of the game.
For St Mirren, the focus will now be on getting back to winning ways in the league while McLeish deals with the off-field distraction of the upcoming hearing.