KIKMARNOCK STRIKER KYLE Lafferty could face a 10-match ban after he admitted letting himself and his club down with his use of sectarian language.
Lafferty has received a club fine after a video, which appeared on social media, showed the former Rangers and Hearts striker making reference to a “pack of Fenian bastards” after a man posing for a photo with him said “Up the Celts”.
The 35-year-old faces a Scottish Football Association tribunal on 20 October accused of not acting in the best interests of football and breaching a rule which forbids the use of insulting language which includes reference to the likes of ethnic origin, race, nationality, religion or belief.
SFA rules state that the punishment for the latter is a mandatory minimum 10-match ban which can only be reduced “where exceptional circumstances are established”.
Kyle Lafferty good man pic.twitter.com/wnBT23C95m
— ggggggg (@ggggggg19769441) September 21, 2022
Killie announced their internal investigation into the incident had been concluded shortly after the SFA charges were announced.
A statement added: “The club can confirm that Kyle regrets his actions and acknowledges that he has let down himself, his family, the club and the supporters.
“Kilmarnock Football Club has subsequently taken internal action, including the serving of a substantial fine.
“The club has also engaged Scotland’s leading anti-sectarian charity, Nil By Mouth, which will work closely with Kyle on a one-to-one basis, in addition to delivering training to our first team squad and academy squad members, to provide education which the charity believes is key to tackling sectarianism in society.
“Kyle has also committed to supporting the club’s community projects which will see him participating in Nil by Mouth’s educational initiatives, in addition to serving Kilmarnock’s ‘Football for All’ programmes on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future.”
The club added they would co-operate fully with the SFA’s investigation.
Lafferty was axed from the Northern Ireland squad for their recent Nations League fixtures against Kosovo and Greece, with manager Ian Baraclough stating that a back injury had also been considered when the decision was made.
The former Motherwell manager claimed the incident was not necessarily the end of Lafferty’s international career.
It is unclear whether Lafferty will be in the squad for Kilmarnock’s cinch Premiership match at Aberdeen on Saturday.
Killie manager Derek McInnes earlier stated the club would be guided by the SFA’s input but Lafferty could feature if fit considering he is likely to face some form of suspension following his Hampden hearing.
At this moment in time, Jack O’Donoghue might be an upgrade to the back row. Coombes is the one that Munster cant afford to miss time. He was next level on Saturday.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: and I even think Coombes is better at 6 than 8
@Macca1986: better at 8 than 6, sorry.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: agreed, cj, ruddock must be scratching their heads at how Pom got 2 year with the irfu. He was brilliant on his day but that day is too irregular nowadays.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: How J.O.D doesn’t get a starting place in that Munster team is unbelievable. He is a serious athlete and makes a difference every appearance. If he moved to Connaught or Ulster he would be first name on their team sheet
@Will: That you Liam Toland ?
@Will: that you Liam Toland?
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: yeah JOD has had a great year, lots of eye-catching carries. POM looked wrecked at the weekend.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: based on what, it is certainly not form. Add in the fact POM can play 7 and gives a more balanced back row.
Coombes was great at carrying but he needs to hugely improve his defence; 5 missed tackles is too many.
@B Collins: yet he had 1 carry against Leinster and went backwards.
@John Buckley: I dont know what balance he offered in the time he was playing on Saturday. O’Donoghue is more abrasive I’d say. POM really brings value to the lineout but that’s not really a massive USP.
@#JUSTICE4NOEL: it was a lot more ballance than JOD offered and the stats show it. 10 tackles in 49 minutes from a man you constantly state can’t tackle shows you have no clue and are just continuing your vendetta against POM.
@Macca1986: Has to be 8….
@Macca1986: Has to be 8..
@John Buckley: No vendetta. Just say it as I see it. I think you might slightly embellish the impact that POM has. Nevertheless, each to their own.
@Seán Upton: you got me….
Wouldn’t see this as a bad thing as a Munster fan. O’donoghue brought more energy and power in 15 mins than o mahony in 65. O mahony has been out of form for way too long.
@hypebeast: …yeah, to be honest!! One of his biggest fans but looked a shadow of his former self last Sat.
@Michael Murray: as did every munster player
@hypebeast: can you get anything right? POM played 49mins to JODs 31 minutes.
POM made more passes, tackles (10 in 49minutes for the people who say he doesn’t tackle), defenders beaten and carried for more meters than JOD. In fact JOD doesn’t beat him on any stat, so who had the bigger impact?
POM has been in great form this season, it’s a blatant lie if you state otherwise.
Better off without him – his biggest attribute lately is going missing in big games !
Doesn’t matter if he’s injured, the angry face and pashun will do the job.
you’ll probably see munster rise for this game and couldn’t put in a performance last weekend
@Macca1986: Couldn’t or weren’t left put a performance in by a better more physical team. Can’t rise and play with 30% of the ball.
@Alan Noonan: I love pain so re-watched it last night, the amount of missed tackles was horrendous, that is not Leinster being brilliant its Munster being sloppy. The aggression Leinster showed was top drawer, munster lay down too easy and let them walk over us. Shocking level of performance for a final.
@Ronan: Pressure, physicality and tempo leads to missed tackles. Defending for that long also.
@Ronan: Going back over the years Munster have had a habit of doing that the week before a Heineken game and played out of their skins.
Was always a league came though never a final.
Hopefully we can show our best form on Saturday.
@Alan Noonan: Alan a lot of the missed tackles happened in the first 20 minutes. Been a problem all year.