Hibs’ McGinn given two-game ban for ‘inept’ referee criticism

Hibernian defender Paul McGinn has been banned for two games following criticism of League Cup final referee John Beaton.

McGinn was issued with a Scottish Football Association notice of complaint last month after he branded Beaton’s actions around Celtic’s winning goal at Hampden Park as “inept”.

He will now miss their first match after the winter break against Celtic on January 17 as well as the Scottish Cup tie with Cove Rangers three days later.

The Hibs player claimed 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 victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

McGinn was 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”.

“It’s not a foul and then the fourth official is holding the board,” he said after the game. “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.

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“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.”