Hearts appeal Kingston red card

Jim Jefferies today confirmed that Hearts will lodge an appeal against the red card shown to Laryea Kingston at Aberdeen.

The manager said – ‘I have looked at the challenge from every angle and at all times Larry’s eyes are on the ball. I don’t think there was anything intentional about the
challenge and there was certainly no malice. His foot was in the air as he was trying to control the ball, which was coming down. Their player might have made a meal of it since he was up and running about like a two-year-old afterwards and there might have been a bit of crowd influence too.’

Jim stopped short of adding that there was also a considerable element of “player influence”, where Aberdeen players hounded a referee in attempt to get a Hearts player booked or sent off – not for the first time in recent years, too (remember Miko getting blatantly chopped at Pittodrie and then being strongly accused of diving by several Dons players, resulting in a booking). They have probably learned this behaviour from the “master” – Aberdeen director of Football Willie Miller.

While agreeing that the Kingston incident didn`t merit a red card, I have a slight suspicion that 2 successful red card appeals in the same weekend may prove too much for the SFA to sanction (with the ludicrous Scott Brown incident also being heard). In Scotland, politics often comes before reason.