Hibs win Jimmy Jeggo red card appeal - but Easter Road chiefs reiterate concerns over referee decisions

Hibs have been successful in their attempts to overturn the red card shown to Jimmy Jeggo during Saturday’s cinch Premiership draw with St Johnstone.

The Australian midfielder was given his marching orders just minutes into the second period following a challenge on Connor McLennan but the decision looked harsh and Easter Road manager Lee Johnson raged at the officials in his post-match remarks, branding the sending-off ‘horrendous’.

Hibs confirmed on Sunday they had launched an appeal, challenging referee Craig Napier’s call to dismiss the January signing on the grounds of committing serious foul play. Club chiefs claimed wrongful dismissal and following a Scottish FA Fast Track Tribunal Hearing at Hampden on Wednesday morning, the decision has been overturned.

The red card has been downgraded to a yellow, meaning Jeggo is available to face St Mirren at home and Aberdeen at Pittodrie in Hibs’ first two post-split fixtures as they target qualification for Europe.

Hibs were successful in appealing Jimmy Jeggo's red card

Despite successfully challenging the red card, Hibs remain troubled by the standard of officiating throughout the Scottish game, and have pledged to work with other clubs and the authorities to ‘bring needed improvements’.

Chief executive Ben Kensell said: “We are pleased that common sense has prevailed, and the appeal panel has overturned Jimmy Jeggo’s red card. This is a positive outcome however, throughout the current campaign, we have raised serious concerns with the standard of officiating across the Scottish game on at least five occasions where decisions have wrongly gone against us. We will work with other clubs and the SFA to bring needed improvement to the current systems.”

Among those five decisions are Ross County’s equalising goal during the 1-1 draw at the Global Energy Stadium on January 31; a missed handball during the 3-2 defeat by Rangers at Ibrox on December 17; Mykola Kukharevych’s disallowed goal during the 1-0 defeat by Dundee United at Tannadice on October 11; Élie Youan’s red card during the 3-1 defeat by Celtic at Celtic Park on March 18, and Jeggo’s red card.

Meanwhile, the Evening News understands Johnson won’t face any SFA action as the manager didn’t contravene any rules, despite his McDiarmid Park outburst in which he criticised the referee, accused him of not blowing his whistle loudly enough, and claimed the ‘show was all about the officials on too many occasions’.