HIBERNIAN defender Paul McGinn has been hit with a Scottish Football Association disciplinary charge following his criticism of cup final referee John Beaton.
McGinn branded Beaton’s actions around Celtic’s winning goal as “inept”.
The Hibs player explained he and his team-mates were anticipating a substitution before Tom Rogic was allowed to take a quick free-kick which set Kyogo Furuhashi away to seal a 2-1 Premier Sports Cup final victory.
McGinn has been accused of breaching rules which prohibit those in football from criticising match officials in a way which indicates “bias or incompetence” or “impinge on their character”.
Speaking to the media soon after the game on Sunday, McGinn said: “It’s not a foul and then the fourth official is holding the board. I think Jamie Murphy could stand over the ball, as you do, but he steps away from it, to assume ‘sub’.
“No control over the situation, [Beaton] just lets it happen, and the goal goes in. I don’t know if you see me running to him straight away and get myself booked. But it’s just inept.
“Even 90 seconds later, Celtic are going to make a sub and [Anthony] Ralston takes a quick throw-in, and he whistles it back for the sub to happen.
“I ran to him and just said ‘What’s going on? There is no way we would have got that the other way. No way.’ That’s why I got booked.”
McGinn faces a hearing on January 13.
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