St Johnstone’s Frazer Wright insists the jury’s out as far as he is concerned over “trial by television”.
The centre-half was hit with a ban following last season’s match at Celtic Park on May 11 after he was found guilty of elbowing Hoops player Mikael Lustig.
No action was taken at the time by referee Alan Muir, but the incident was highlighted on the BBC’s Sportscene show, prompting a flood of emails to the SFA from Celtic fans, resulting in Wright being given a two-match suspension.
St Johnstone were so sure of their player’s innocence they appealed the ban, but their pleas fell on deaf ears at Hampden.
Now, as he prepares to return to the scene of his alleged “crime” today, Wright has called for greater consistency from the disciplinary panel, highlighting an incident between former Saints player Rowan Vine and ex-Hoops midfielder Victor Wanyama as a case in point.
Wright said: “It wasn’t Vincent Lunny (SFA compliance officer), because he was on holiday, it was his assistant and they said that because of the number of emails they got after the incident was on telly, they had to act. So that just shows you.
“There wouldn’t have been that volume of emails if we weren’t playing Celtic, and I can understand why people are getting annoyed.
“There was a bit before it that I thought I was more likely to get called up for than the elbow I did get called up for.
“It’s annoying because in that game Wanyama had Viney by the throat and nothing was done.
“I also got sent a picture from the match at McDiarmid last season when Wanyama has me by the throat and nothing was done about that.”
That last game was certainly one to forget for St Johnstone and Wright in particular.
The Hoops were in party mood, knowing they would be presented the SPL championship trophy at the final whistle.
They got off to the perfect start, with Joe Ledley netting in just the second minute.
There were further goals by Charlie Mulgrew and James Forrest, and Wright’s misery was made complete when he headed a corner past his own keeper Alan Mannus late on.
The former Kilmarnock centre-half is now determined there will be no repeat today, and is hoping that Celtic’s Champions League game against AC Milan in the San Siro in midweek will have taken its toll.
He said: “The last trip to Parkhead was not the best for me personally, but these things happen. But I’ll just put my last trip there down to a bad day at the office and move on.
“It was disappointing to lose a goal so quickly, and when you are at Parkhead or Ibrox you know there’s a very good chance you’re going to lose another goal straight afterwards.
“They seem to always score twice in five minutes in a lot of matches and it’s game over.
“It can be like a Thursday training session, when you are just dealing with waves of attack.
“But if you can go there, be organised and not let in an early goal and your goalkeeper and defenders are on form then you have a chance, especially just now with Celtic being in Europe.
“We know what it was like after our Europa League game against Minsk. Even though it was at home we had extra time and we found it hard at the weekend.
“Celtic may find it hard too. In all the years I’ve been playing there I’ve only won once, a couple of years ago with Dave Mackay’s goal.
“But it seems we’ve got into a wee habit of beating Celtic at the start of the season. We beat them last year as well.
“It seems we’ve been struggling at the start of the last two seasons, then we’ve played Celtic and won and kick-started our season.
“Last year it got Steve Lomas the manager of the month award when he was going to get the sack. So I hope we can get another good result.”
St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright has a full squad to choose from.