Ricky Foster lands hefty ban for SFA 'lies' claim after Rangers vs St Johnstone drama

Ricky Foster has been handed a six-game ban for accusing the Scottish FA of lying about a Rangers goal decision.

It centred around when Cyriel Dessers opened the scoring for Gers against St Johnstone in their Premier Sports Cup quarter-final win. It was a controversial moment as Saints defenders believed referee Matthew Mcdermid had awarded a foul on Jack Sanders by Dessers as he had made a gesture with his hands.

However, the official didn't actually blow his whistle, so after the Nigerian tucked the ball away the goal stood, with a VAR check deciding there was no foul and so there was no need to review the decision. St Johnstone boss Craig Levein was baffled post-match and said his players had been adamant the whistle had gone BEFORE the ball crossed the line.

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Motherwell's head of coaching Foster was on punditry duty for BBC Sportsound that day and an explanation for the decision from the SFA was read out on air, to which he replied: “Lies! It’s a lie. Unless he puts the whistle to his mouth for no reason."

Appearing on the show again a week later, he apologised and said he was speaking “more as a fan rather than a pundit," and admitted he "shouldn’t have implied that there was anything going on with the SFA statement.”

But that didn't save his skin with SFA beaks not impressed with the original comment and due to his role at Fir Park he was charged by the governing body, the results of which were published today.

A response to the charge on the SFA website reads: "Admitted. Six match suspension applied as follows: Four matches immediate, and two matches suspended until the end of Season 2024/25, suspended sanction applicable only should Richard Foster further breach Disciplinary Rule 77 within this period."