By Graham Barnstaple
January 26 2012

Motherwell’s Michael Higdon will be suspended for one game after the SFA’s Fast Track panel upheld his ban for a gesture after scoring last week.

Higdon made a gesture after scoring the equaliser for Motherwell at Tannadice, which seems to have been seen as a gesture being made to the Well fans. On the other hand the club seemed to have seen it one made out of frustration after missing a couple of chances in the game.

His Manager Stuart McCall said on MFC TV today, “It is ridiculous, it seems to be  subjective and a matter of opinion. He has done it before at St. Mirren and I have spoken to referee’s who say this would have been a yellow at the most.

“Vincent Lunny said he doesn’t watch all six games, but there are a lot of other areas where he gets his information from.

“No one complained about the gesture, I don’t find the gesture offensive but it must have been something the panel must have felt was offensive.”

This strange decision is another of the bizarre decisions that has been made by the Fast Track panel so far this season, two more stand out;

Garry O’Connor’s dive earlier in the season when even his Assistant Billy Brown said it was a dive but the panel felt he had been fouled!

Chris Hogg v Motherwell, sent off denying a goal scoring opportunity but when you watch the pictures you see there were covering players but his red card was upheld.

I also remember there was supposed to be investigations into T Shirts with messages, worn by Ian Black and Emilio Izaguerre but this appears to have disappeared despite this being against UEFA laws!

I have said before this whole system needs to be sorted out and footballing people make footballing decisions. I must admit I now feel the idea behind the system is a good one, but at the moment is losing some credibility and confidence in their ability to get to the right decision.