A section of Rangers fans have reacted with anger and sarcasm after the Scottish FA revealed on Wednesday why they refused to overturn Daniel Candeias’ red card against St Mirren.
In a statement on their website, the governing body explained referee Willie Collum decided Candeias had to go after spotting the 30-year-old goad his Saints rival Anton Ferdinand “with gestures”.
Replays show Candeias – who had already picked up a booking for rushing towards the travelling support after scoring Gers’ opening goal – running past Ferdinand while blowing kisses at the veteran stopper as the Light Blues celebrated Alfredo Morelos’ injury-time strike.
Many Rangers fans were stunned at the explanation from the Scottish FA.
This Is Futbol has rounded up some of the best tweets below.
COMMENTARY:
Who can blame the Rangers fans for going into meltdown at the SFA explanation for Candeias’ inexplicable red against St Mirren? That it has taken the governing body two weeks to come up with it adds a fresh dimension to this already farcical saga. If it is a bookable offence to blow kisses at the crowd or in the general direction of opponents, there will be barely a game played without a player being booked for exactly that. Moreover, there is no explanation for why Collum believed blowing kisses at Ferdinand should be treated with the same severity as the defender placing Candeias in a headlock before aiming a jab at his chin. Both men were booked, with the Portugese given his marching orders after receiving a yellow card earlier for rushing towards the travelling support after his opener. It was a stunning decision at the time to dismiss him, and is still stunning now. The SFA’s explanation has only made them even more of a joke.
The #SFA are not fit for purpose. A disgraceful statement.
— Bartair Peel (@BartairPeel) November 14, 2018
What a downright lie – nothing more nothing less. Easy to say that after 2 weeks of thinking about how to cover their biased mistakes.
— Mr King (@killieblue) November 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/JBrewer1862/status/1062766885811511296
https://twitter.com/ishkha1872/status/1062770729085624320
So in other words it was his fault Ferdinand grabbed him nipped him & skelped his chin ?????? makes perfect sense
— Debz Lawson (@LawDebz) November 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/Jacsgers/status/1062772466106404865
Well what I saw was Candeias have a laugh with the keeper then walk away and get grabbed round the neck by Ferdidand who the tried to punch him on the jaw where's the getting involved further joke decision from a joke of a footballing body
— Kenny Weir (@weir1216_k) November 14, 2018
Let me get this straight, so in recent years we have had a player sent off for clapping fans (Halliday v Morton) and now for blowing a kiss (Candeias v St Mirren) yet supporters of opposition clubs think @ScottishFA give favourable decisions to @RangersFC – bonkers!
— Dougie (@CF3Loyal) November 14, 2018
Every time we get a player sent off, we'll go out and thrash the next team, WATP, bring it on
— Kenny L55 (@kdy1303) November 14, 2018
Only took two weeks to come up with it. ???
— Elaine (@ecm_242) November 14, 2018
https://twitter.com/Renegade_uk100/status/1062768707888390144
What was he to do, run away from Ferdinand? He was approached by the other player! #notfitforpurpose
— STILL NAW (@robertscott10) November 14, 2018