St Johnstone star Nicky Clark reacts as he WINS appeal against Rangers red card after SFA panel say Collum was WRONG

NICKY CLARK is free to face Motherwell tonight after winning his appeal against the red card Willie Collum dished out against Rangers. 

St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson decided to contest the decision at an 0830 SFA hearing this morning. 

Willie Vass

Clark was dismissed for this foul on Ryan Jack[/caption]

PA

The Saints man was visibly shocked to be red-carded[/caption]

And the panel agreed the whistler got it WRONG at Ibrox by sending Clark off for a high boot on Ryan Jack. 

Clark’s punishment has been downgraded to a yellow card, so that frees him from suspension and he can take his place at Fir Park this evening.

Immediately after the news was confirmed by the Saints, Clark took to Twitter to react himself.

He simply posted a couple of emojis in response, one with hands raised to the sky and the other clapping.

Collum’s performance in the 2-0 Rangers win attracted major criticism, since he red-carded the Saints man without consulting VAR.

Then soon after, he decided to only yellow-card Jack for a tackle on Adam Montgomery despite the video ref Nick Walsh requesting he take another look. 

Former ref Stuart Dougal tried to argue Collum got the Clark decision correct, but after viewing Saints’ video evidence the SFA panel disagreed.

The Clark call was one of THREE major refereeing talking points in the game at Ibrox.

As well as the red card – or no red card – decisions, some pundits felt the penalty award when James Brown was penalised for handball.

But it was the decision not to send-off Jack that caused the most debate in the aftermath.

While Dougal told the BBC’s VARdict that he was content with Collum’s decision to stick with a yellow card, fellow ex-ref Des Roache was scathing of his former category one colleague’s showing.

He told Grosvenor Sport that he felt Collum had got all three big decisions WRONG – and that the whistler should even consider packing it in after the performance.

Roache blasted: “The penalty call was wrong in my view. James Brown couldn’t possibly get out of the way when the ball hit his arm.

“It was never a red card when Nicky Clark challenged Ryan Jack – and Jack should have been sent off for his challenge on Adam Montgomery.

“So there were three mistakes.

“Everyone can have a bad day at the office – a player or a referee – but when you continue to have bad days then what happens? Do the SFA continue to appoint him?

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