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Bit of a strange take. You say it "should be a red card offence", I agree, only it isnt at the moment. As someone, who openly criticised Slattery at the time and was embarassed by his actions, I have no issue with him being retrospectively punished. But the punishment has to fit the crime, and shouldnt just be made up on the hoof to make an example out of someone retrospectively. If that had happened no one would really argue, but this seems unfair and OTT, so no surprise some of our fans are leaping to the defence of our player.

I despise diving/feigning injury . Something we'd do well to get rid of, together with VAR. Dishing on strong punishment like this as many have said is welcomed. That being said there's a way to do it and that's being clear with all clubs that moving forward players will dealt with in xyz manner. Typically this happens at the start of a season. It's zero surprise that it's non OF clubs that first feel the wrath. To do it retrospectively like this with such a severe punishment should be baffling but sadly just another piece of evidence of how badly the game is being run.

So, how is a referee to know why a player dives or feigns injury? Should that apply to every over reaction that could lead to the "offender" being carded? Could Slattery have said "I only ever meant to get him yellow carded". As I said, this has opened a can of worms.

Rule 201. The SFA introduced it in 2011, and have handed out a few two game bans for it since then. The additional two suspended is new, though.

Will Clancey and co be suspended for their cheating re Chamberlains red card offence on Just? Its on the audio! Will Chamberlain be cited for a dangerous tackle? or is falling over to highlight an assualt attempt worse than injurying an opponent? What about simulation to win penalties? At the time it could not be proved the saints player connected but now we are to believe he did not. Another example of over zealous authorities with a new agenda. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs they have made up a punishment and hammered the small guys. No chance they do this to Celtic or Rangers. Going forward, Con the authorities and be hammered but the officials now need to be held accountable for their lack of professionalism and constant, apparently honest, mistakes. The whole thing stinks. At this point of the season a quiet word in his ear and notice they would clamp down on it next season would have sufficed. Another point. The saints player being sent off did not hinder them. They were already beat and successfully appealed the decision prior to next game. Players con officials at every turn. Where do they draw the line?

Deliberately feigning injury to get a player sent off should be a red card offence. Referees might be incompetent and VAR might be a shambles but I doubt they are actively cheating like Slattery was. Trying to twist the incident so that the SFA is at fault is ridiculous. Our player cheated, got caught and is now being rightly punished. Let it be a lesson to others, Motherwell players or otherwise that that kind of blatant cheating is totally unacceptable. And BTW the sort of pathetic paranoia that 'it wouldn't happen to this team or that team ' is exactly the same justification the Old Firm use all the time. Take some ownership.

Disciplinary Rule allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 77. A recognised football body, club, official, Team Official, other member of Team Staff, player, match official or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall, at all times, act in the best interests of Association Football. Furthermore such person or body shall not act in any manner which is improper or use any one (1), or a combination of, violent Conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour. Hearing date: Thursday, 26 March 2026 Outcome: Proved

Does anyone know who was on the disciplinary panel?

The incompetence displayed by officials in general is off the charts. VAR has just given them another opportunity to display how clueless they are, and it can't be described as teething trouble, since decisions are getting worse with every passing week. If that lot can't play with their toys properly, they shouldn't be allowed any.

They wont though, its the SFA we are talking about here.

What statement did the SFA issue with the ban?

So will every player who gets booked for Simulation get the same 4 game ban? they should!!!

First post says 4 game ban ok I read article. 2 game ban with 2 suspended

This is ridiculous. Diving is not even a red card offence. Who decided to review this and who decided to dish out 4 game suspension? This is way over the top!! Smells of corruption !! this has never been done before. Where the fknin the rules and regulations does it allow them to review this and asking a four game ban for a yellow card offence.

If var had done its job properly, the St mirren player would never been sent off, Slattery would have had a yellow card and that would have been the end of it. But they made a James Hunt of it and Slattery gets a 2 game ban instead of a yellow card, it really is a feckin shambles of an organisation, can you imagine the shit storm if it had been one of ghe ugly sisters players getting banned. The clubs really need to grow a set and start challenging the whole set up, as its not fit for purpose.

I hope this is the way forward in cheating tbh I don't care if a Well player or another teams player it was embarrassing to see Slattery go down like that for nothing. However another nail in the coffin for VAR should have been dealt with on the night and not weeks later.

Exactly this.

I honestly don't recall the assistant getting involved in the incident during the game, but if he told the ref it was a red card, that's just another official whose competence has to be questioned, along with the VAR team. Slattery was an idiot, and he's now been punished, but we all know there will be as much consistency applied to the issue of simulation as there is to every other issue in Scottish football.

From an old press story. Don't know if England ever followed the Scottish example. As usual, the application of the rule is what causes the anger up here. I see England did have retrospective action in place for violent conduct at that time, but not for diving. Anyways, it's not a new thing. The Football Association has confirmed it is talking to the Scottish Football Association about the pros and cons of taking retrospective action against players who dive. Introduced in 2011, the SFA's rule 201 gives a disciplinary panel the power to impose two-game bans for acts of simulation missed by the match officials or rescind yellow cards for players who were incorrectly adjudged to have dived. Hearts winger Jamie Walker has experienced both verdicts this season, having served a two-game ban for a dive to gain a penalty against Celtic in August and then been retrospectively cleared of simulation during a game against Rangers in December. Speaking to Press Association Sport, an FA spokesman said: "The issue of simulation is under review and we have a continuing dialogue with other associations about rules and regulations. "We are interested in going to see the SFA to talk about how their rule is working but it is part of that wider conversation." The spokesman added that any change to the rules in England would need support from across the game -- managers, players, referees and so on - and would be done via the Football Regulatory Authority. The general view in Scotland is rule 201 has had a positive impact, although there has been some criticism of the apparent contradiction between a player getting a yellow card for an offence seen by a referee but a red card for the same offence if the referee missed it. In the past, world football's governing body FIFA has stuck to the principle that matches should be refereed on the pitch, in real time, with any mistakes made by the officials simply being part of the game. FIFA's stance, however, is starting to change as it has already approved goal-line technology, is trialling video assistant referees and has not complained about the SFA's simulation rules or the FA's own retrospective punishments for violent conduct. That last point is significant as the four British FAs have permanent seats on the International Football Association Board, the body that decides on fundamental changes to the game's laws, which suggests FIFA may view these local rules as pilots before wider implementation. Simulation, once one of the great taboos of British football, is back on the agenda after Robert Snodgrass dived to earn a penalty for Hull City against Crystal Palace last month. The Scot scored from the spot but later admitted he was not touched by Palace defender Scott Dann, saying he instinctively took evasive action because of his recent injury problems.

Not that long ago, Slattery got sent off (two yellows), holding off Cantwell versus Rangers, and he went down holding his beek, feigning injury. Nothing was made of that other than Celtic supporting former refs in the tabloids saying Cantwell cheated. Someone mentioned they have opened up a can of worms; experience says the next time, they won't address it consistently. I'm delighted with the football we have been playing this season, it's honestly been some wonderful stuff, and other teams have been boasting some great crowds, the best in years, but these dickheads are killing all enjoyment.

The referee made the decision after advice from his assistant. Therefore they were both conned...by Slattery.... into issuing a red card. VAR did not intervene. Wrongly, so I agree questions need to be asked on that score. Had Slattery been found out there and then a yellow would have been sufficient given the St Mirren player would not have been sent off. But because of the actual outcome on the night a red card for Slattery is correct and in line with previous examples......pre VAR mostly I think. Trial by Sportscene springs to mind. At the end of the day, no matter who we like to point fingers at, Slattery cheated. As for the time taken to issue his ban, MFC were told within days that Slattery had been cited and if found at fault would be punished. It's not true to say that only some four weeks later the Authorities decided to act. It should have been resolved much quicker though.

Sorry, double post.

A ridiculous decision, which opens up a mega sized can of worms. Others have made good points. So many angles to this. * How far back will the SFA go to look at retrospective action? 1 month perhaps 2 months or even 3? What is the benchmark? * Had Slattery rightly been disciplined at the time it would have been a yellow card. Why not a yellow card now? Thwe fact that he wasn't yellow carded was down to the referee. * Is this now a benchmark? Will we see a spate of retrospective punishments or is a 4 match ban now the norm for simulation? * A related issue - what about players harassing the ref to have an opponent red carded? We see plenty of that. I just hope MFC holds them to account.

He didn't con the ref, he conned VAR. Now they've used VAR to ban him.

Going after a Motherwell player is an easy win for the SFA, compared to tackling the scumbag OF fans.