No sanction for Smith

Rangers boss Walter Smith today escaped punishment for comments he made after his side’s goalless draw against Motherwell.

The Scottish Football Association’s general purposes committee decided Smith had “no case to answer” over his criticism of assistant referee Tom Murphy following the Clydesdale Bank Premier League match at Fir Park on November 12.

Smith was unhappy with Murphy for chalking off a late Kris Boyd strike, pointing out the same official had incorrectly awarded Celtic an offside goal in one of the previous season’s Old Firm derbies.

The Ibrox boss was asked to provide a written explanation of his comments to the SFA just over two weeks ago and it appears that was sufficient to prevent a sanction.

The SFA said in a statement: “The GPC met today and, on the basis of documentation provided and clarification offered, found that Walter Smith had no case to answer.”

Smith had also said after the match in question: “Kris was onside and it’s disappointing that we’ve been hit this season by officials making the wrong decisions.”

He added it was frustrating that Boyd’s effort was not allowed to stand, given that “in everybody’s minds, Rangers never get a decision against them.”