The Ciftci decision displeases everyone

When is a ban not a ban? It is a question that came to mind on learning of the SFA’s sanction for Nadir Ciftci.

The Dundee United striker picked up a two-match suspension for manhandling an assistant referee during a Cup tie against Inverness Caley Thistle two months ago.

Simple enough. Except, of course, that half the punishment is suspended.

And he would have missed the game he was banned for anyway due to injury.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time. However, in this case the Association managed to displease just about everybody.

The referees are unhappy because they feel the decision to be lenient. They argue it sends out a terrible example to the game at lower levels.

The threat, they say, is not to the SPFL referee who is officiating at a game which is well policed and stewarded. Rather it is to the whistler taking charge of an amateur match which spins out of control.

It has been proven young players are strongly influenced by the behaviour they watch in the big games on television. If the top stars don’t get hammered for laying hands on a ref, they might think, then why should they?

There was even talk of another strike. Remembering the farcical scenes from the referees strike in 2010, when we had foreign refs flying in with no clue what was going on, we can be thankful that never happened.

Dundee United for their part are displeased because they believe their player had no case to answer. With no definitive television pictures of the multi-player row, they presented their own footage and their own interpretation of events.

They were partially successful in that the original charge was reduced.

From “seizing hold” of official Gavin Harris “by the throat” we got “placing an open hand into the lower area of the assistant referee’s throat”. A less-serious offence. And for a less-serious offence, read a lesser punishment.

That hasn’t convinced United’s fans, though, who have accused the SFA of getting it wrong then coming up with a fudge in order to save face.

In a muddy issue, what is clear is that this has been a distraction for United and their player. They have been on a great run with Ciftci key to their success.

Amid all the talk of their young Scots stars, it sometimes gets forgotten that the Turk is only 21 himself.

Such has been the ease with which he has linked up with Gary Mackay-Steven, Stuart Armstrong and the rest of his new team-mates, you would think he was a much more-experienced player.

Five months into the season, I don’t think anyone would deny that he is a talented striker and was a particularly astute pickup by United at a time when they needed to replace Johnny Russell and Jon Daly.