And finally…’Scots footballers’ fines should be donated to good causes’

Following on from recent high-profile stories regarding footballer’s fines, SNP MSP James Dornan has called for fines paid to the SFA to be donated to good causes across the country.

Mr Dornan has written to the Chief Executive of the SFA, Stewart Regan, to ask what the current policy is on where money from players fines goes and to make the case that the SFA should play a leading role in the collective efforts around the refugee crisis.

Last week Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths was handed a suspended two-match ban and fined £2,500 after admitting singing an offensive song about former Hearts player Rudi Skacel.

The former Hibernian forward was admonished by a sheriff after admitting the incident in court but was punished by the SFA.

Mr Dornan – whose Glasgow Cathcart constituency includes the national stadium Hampden Park – said: “Most football clubs in Scotland have, at their heart, a community ethos and I have long been a believer that clubs should act as community hubs and utilise their resources for the benefit of the community.

“We can learn a lot from the work that clubs such as Hamilton Accies and Queen’s Park do with their work in the local community through their outreach programmes and use of club facilities for the community.

“As a football fan I was delighted to read of the support that Bayern Munich had given to the refugee crisis both with their time and footballing resources and with a cash donation. This commitment has been, in part, mirrored by other clubs across Europe including Celtic but there is more that the footballing community can do and I believe the SFA should be at the forefront of the collective efforts around this.

“It is in this spirit of football having a positive role to play that I am calling on the SFA to donate the proceeds raised from fines because of player misconduct to good causes to support the refugee crisis and outreach work in the local community.”

An SFA spokesman said: “This would have to be a policy decision” and not done in isolation.”