Michael Stewart hits back at the SFA, and opens up about being banned from the ‘footprint’ of Hampden park during Celtic v St. Mirren

So, the Michael Stewart saga and the SFA rumbles on.

We spoke about it in depth last night on the Trinity Tims Podcast, and it has to be said, it really is farcical behaviour from the SFA.

They really have thrown the toys out of the pram on this one.

Michael Stewart has opened up on how he’s finding thew whole situation, which he has every right to do.

The SFA and the Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association have been giving the impression that they are being victimised and demonised by Stewart.

However, Michael Stewart believes it is the other way round.

And you know something?

He’s right, the SFA has gone way over the top with this.

They’re acting like some sort of dictatorship which will not stand for any kind of criticism or dissent when their obvious failings are pointed out.

Freedom of speech is Michael Stewart’s right.

He is a journalist and a media contributor, therefore, he should be allowed to voice his opinion without fear of any repercussions.

In an article in the Record this morning, Stewart has opened up about the ban.

Here is some of what he had to say:

I’m not going to sit here and play some sort of victim because I’m big and ugly enough to take it on my shoulders. But there’s a strain that comes with it, and for everyone else around me as well.

I take a lot of pride in trying to be straight and honest with my assessment of things. Clearly, that upsets people in power sometimes.

Ultimately, I’m not here to appease them. I’m trying to be honest, and I think that’s important. There’s a serious issue here and a dangerous precedent set by the SFA. They see fit to ban me for things that I’ve said.

Stewart pretty much hits the nail on the head with those comments.

He isn’t there to appease the SFA, or Scottish referees for that matter.

And regardless, he should be allowed to voice his opinions without facing any sanctions.

Not so long ago, during a match on R*****s TV, John Brown stated that Scottish referees were corrupt.

The SFA did nothing.

They said nothing, and in my view, that’s far worse than anything Michael Stewart has said.

Where was the faux outrage after that?

Why weren’t the Ibrox club sanctioned and told to reel their mouthpiece in after his comments?

I’ll tell you why, its because the SFA are afraid to take potshots at the Ibrox club.

They’ve always been afraid to call them out on their behaviour.

Hence the reason they did nothing about that particular incident.

As for the referees themeselves?

Surely the SSFRA must have been seriously offended by the fact their referees were criticised by the very side they go all out to help?

This is why Michael Stewart believes there is a false narrative going around about him.

The SFA will pick and choose their battles, and they obviously saw Stewart and Premier Sports as an easy target.

But its obvious Stewart is being victimised and a dangerous precedent is being set here.

If they can get away with this, then they will feel they can target other commentators and journalists.

Here is some more of Stewart had to say on his position:

There’s a false narrative that’s been peddled claiming there has been over a year of complaints and conversations between the refs and the SFA, who are unhappy by how I’ve approached things.

My retort to that would be: why on earth did the SFA not decide to discuss this with their broadcasting partners at Premier Sports?

This spreads from an incident at St Mirren against Hibs, where I saw a mistake — an unbelievable mistake — from a certain official.

Since then, there has been a concerted effort from the SFA to try and undermine me. What that showed was there is a system in place, VAR, that isn’t fit for purpose.

Lets be fair here, Michael Stewart isn’t the only journalist out there who has called out VAR.

He isn’t the only one who has said its not fit for purpose.

Yet he’s singled out for punishment because he called out what he perceived to be a clear and obvious error from VAR?

Which he is totally entitled to do in his line of work.

How many times has Kris Boyd moaned about VAR?

Why haven’t the SFA contacted Sky Sports when he runs his mouth off about it?

The simple fact here is that Michael Stewart rightfully called out a blunder by the VAR during a St. Mirren v Hibs match last year.

The SFA don’t like that their sub-standard system is being called out.

And the referees don’t like that their incompetence is being called out.

This whole situation is completely wrong.

Stewart needs to keep up the pressure on the SFA in the media because eventually they will have to relent.

They cannot ban Michael Stewart indefinitely from Hampden Park.

Sooner or later they are going to have to allow him to continue to work freely with the BBC and Premier Sports at the National Stadium.

The longer they keep this up, the more foolish it makes them look.

Surely Ian Maxwell can see that?

Surely?

Watch this space.

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