Premiership star handed four-game ban in Scottish football first as club demand answers amid controversy

The incident occurred in last month’s Premiership victory over St Mirren where Buddies defender Richard King was sent off, following a VAR review, for an alleged swipe at Slattery’s face. It was upheld during the game due to inconclusive camera angles, but after a Scottish FA hearing, the 27-year-old has been banned for ‘inappropriate behaviour.’ He will now miss upcoming matches against Falkirk and Hearts, with the other two games suspended, after Motherwell were notified of the sanction by the compliance officer.

It is claimed by the Fir Park side that this is the first time in Scottish football that a suspension for such an incident has been delivered retrospectively. They are seeking answers on why this particular action meets the threshold when others in the past have not. They are also keen to see the same level of consistency upheld in future flashpoints.

Why has Callum Slattery been handed a suspension?

Motherwell wrote in a statement: “We can confirm that following a SFA hearing, Callum Slattery has been handed a four-match suspension, two of which are suspended. This suspension is related to the red card incident involving Richard King against St Mirren back in February.

“The club was informed earlier in the month that Slattery had been issued with a notice of complaint from the Compliance Officer and that the midfielder would be issued with a match suspension, the length of which would be decided by a panel. On the night, the fourth official communicated to the match referee about the off-the-ball incident, to which a red card was shown to King. Following a VAR review, the decision was upheld due to the inconclusive evidence from the cameras, which couldn’t confirm the level of contact with Slattery’s face due to poor quality.

“Despite the correct protocol being followed on the night, a third layer of refereeing has now been implemented, and despite using the same poor-quality camera angles, the panel has imposed a four-game ban for our player, two of which he is to serve in the next two matches with the other two suspended.

Motherwell on Callum Slattery suspension

“The club attended the hearing with clear evidence showing that the camera angles from the match in Paisley couldn’t provide anyone with conclusive footage on the amount of contact to Slattery’s face. This is the first incident in Scottish football where a player has received a match suspension via retrospective action for inappropriate behaviour, and we question why this incident meets the criteria, yet countless others don’t.

“All clubs have witnessed similar incidents in games which haven’t resulted in retrospective bans; therefore, we will watch and expect consistency going forward so that Callum isn’t treated differently to others. The club will be making no further comment at this time.”

The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly