SPL: Scottish FA to rule on Balde ban

The Scottish Football Association will rule on the appeal of Celtic defender Bobo Balde over his recent two-game ban on March 11.

The Frenchman was handed a one-game suspension and an additional 12 disciplinary points, which gave him an extra game suspension, following an incident involving Hibernian defender Paul Fenwick.

The SFA ruled on the case after reviewing video evidence of Balde appearing to strike out at the Canadian international with his arm during a game at Easter Road at the start of last month.

Balde would have been ruled out of the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Aberdeen and the Old Firm derby on March 10.

Parkhead manager Martin O’Neill fined the player himself after the incident, but Balde lodged his own personal appeal against the SFA disciplinary committee’s decision.

Celtic chief executive Ian McLeod also claimed there were ‘‘serious irregularities’’ in the handling of the matter.

The tribunal will be chaired by Lord McCluskey and Peter Gardiner of the SFA and Tony Higgins of the Scottish Professional Footballers Association.