Shifty Ciftci

[+HawkeyeTheGnu]

I really hope some Celtic player does him good and proper on Sunday.

[Guest]

Unbelievable decision. What more proof do they need?

 

In a sense, though, it may benefit us as it gives United a better chance of knocking Celtic out.

[+HawkeyeTheGnu]

Yet again the SFA is shown up as the toothless, spineless shower of cretins they truly are.

[Kingsmills]

This is the man who got lightly wrapped on the knuckles for throttling an official.......beggars belief...

[Scotty]

For the attention of the disciplinary panel .... see  1:31 and 5:08 of the SPFL highlights video. not proven my arse !

 

[Kingsmills]

The SFA  are clearly quite content now for cheating and gamesmanship being part of our game if they are not prepared to take the appropriate course in such a blatant case fully supported by video evidence.

[CaleyD]

*Speechless*

[+DoofersDad]

Unbelievable.  Does the guy have to knife someone on the pitch before the SFA takes action against him? Just what more proof can you have than clear video evidence on the SPFL website?  I sincerely hope the club takes this up with the SFA because the SFA is clearly failing in it's obligations to uphold the dignity and reputation of the game in Scotland and in it's duty of care towards honest players at the receiving end of such dangerous and malicious pre-meditated thuggery.

[cif73]

So the message that the SFA is conveying is ... "Go on, be dirty ... Even be dirty on camera ... So long as the ref doesn't see you, you're fine with us pal so fill your boots"

[Sneckboy]

I'm puzzled by this.

I've looked closely at the video footage and agree that the player should have been 'cited' - with the resultant 2-game-ban.

 

I found it very odd that Dundee United disputed the punishment, but I didn't give it much credence, assuming they were simply 'closing ranks' and it was more-fool-them for not accepting it and effectively losing him for an increased punishment of 3 games for contesting the obvious!

 

These are not 'bread and butter' games either - this is the business end of the season when he's likely to be a key part of their team in the fixtures ahead. Something sits uneasily with me that they knew what they were doing.

 

I actually don't believe Dundee United were naïve at all in challenging the original suspension - they have clearly had legal advice...and were encouraged to proceed with their appeal.

It's the only conclusion I can come to.

Somebody, somewhere knew that there was a 'loophole' and he would get off. It smacks of insider dirty dealings to me.

 

I'm aware I'm casting aspersions here and am willing to retract my accusations -  if the SFA can demonstrate how they came to this conclusion - but there's no transparency, so I'm not holding my breath!

[Macduffer]

useless shower of sh*te...

Green light for blatant cheating.

[Ten4]

I really hope some Celtic player does him good and proper on Sunday.

 

OR preferably if Ciftci himself sticks the elbow in - no way would he get off with anything again with it being against Celtic  !

[+bughtmaster]

He and D U must be laughing their heads off, a scandalous decision, I cannot believe they dismissed the evidence it was so clear to see.

Can our club not appeal to a higher authority ?

The incident and the decision should be reported to FIFA and highlighted to show how inept an Organisation we have at the top of our own Authority in Scotland. Shame on all of them!!!!!!!!

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Second major incident against ICT. Second time he has avoided a fair punishment. 

[cantankerousoldgit]

An absolute disgrace. That's twice he's got away with blatant thuggery.

[+DoofersDad]

I'm with Sneckboy on this.  Having written to the SFA arguing why Ciftci's band should be a lot more than the 2 game "offer" in the citing, I would hope the SFA will actually write to me to inform me of the outcome.  If they do, then I doubt they will justify their not proven conclusion to me.  I will give them the opportunity to, but if I hear nothing by early next week I will write again and ask them why they concluded it was not proven when there is pretty clear evidence.  I doubt they'll tell me then but I can but ask.

 

Of course, he was only cited for the one incident and therefore they will argue that the Shinnie incident was not an issue for consideration at the appeal.  With regard to the Warren incident and in the absence of footage from another camera angle, the argument may be that there is no proof that Cifci made contact with Warren.  Whilst it seems pretty clear from the footage that he did, they may say that Warren could have slipped when Ciftci approached him and it simply appeared that Ciftci struck him.  And without footage to confirm there was contact, then a not proven conclusion is all they can give.  Mind you, the footage as it stands plus the fact that Warren reacted they way he did (and presumably a statement from Warren that he was struck?) should all add up to pretty compelling evidence.

 

Anyhow, loophole or not, Dundee Utd management must know what he did, and in challenging the complaint they deserve the contempt of decent football supporters throughout the country.

[cif73]

I'm with Sneckboy on this.  Having written to the SFA arguing why Ciftci's band should be a lot more than the 2 game "offer" in the citing, I would hope the SFA will actually write to me to inform me of the outcome.  If they do, then I doubt they will justify their not proven conclusion to me.  I will give them the opportunity to, but if I hear nothing by early next week I will write again and ask them why they concluded it was not proven when there is pretty clear evidence.  I doubt they'll tell me then but I can but ask.

 

Of course, he was only cited for the one incident and therefore they will argue that the Shinnie incident was not an issue for consideration at the appeal.  With regard to the Warren incident and in the absence of footage from another camera angle, the argument may be that there is no proof that Cifci made contact with Warren.  Whilst it seems pretty clear from the footage that he did, they may say that Warren could have slipped when Ciftci approached him and it simply appeared that Ciftci struck him.  And without footage to confirm there was contact, then a not proven conclusion is all they can give.  Mind you, the footage as it stands plus the fact that Warren reacted they way he did (and presumably a statement from Warren that he was struck?) should all add up to pretty compelling evidence.

 

Anyhow, loophole or not, Dundee Utd management must know what he did, and in challenging the complaint they deserve the contempt of decent football supporters throughout the country.

Good on you for taking the time and effort to write. Warren would never have reacted like that if he had slipped innocently by his own fault. Even the commentator recognises Ciftci's leading with the elbow. The replays of both the Ciftci incidents (with Shinnie and Warren) are pretty damning.

[Murphyscot]

Even more shocking it that there are people saying on the "Dundirty" facebook page that its justice that shifty wasnt banned.

Have they even seen the replay's? Quite agree with a few of the posters on here that a 2 game ban wouldnt be long enough

Bloody hell suarez got best part of a 4 month ban for biting a guy which yes, gives the sport a bad name but only injury is pride

and at worst a few cuts. Where as shifty gives the sport a bad name and the 2 challenges highlighted could of left graeme and josh

injured and out for rest of season and gaz out for a few weeks with concusion or a even worse injury

At least Jackie "play dirty lads, i'll just appeal" McNamara was right when he said he had no faith in the SFA disiplinary board for justice to be

served cause IMHO it certainly hasnt

[IBM]

Not surprised some players seem to get away with anything, nothing else to add that has not been said on here already.

[Kind of Blue]

To quote Kevin Keegan I would "love it" if Ciftci was to get sent off against Celtic and stuff his team's chances in the cup.  His cheating and hooligan behaviour will eventually catch up on him. 

[Big G]

I didn't think I would ever say this but I hope Celtic win their next three games all 6-0

I despise this Dundee Utd set up more than the old firm. From a chairman who is a hypocrit to a manager who encourages cheating to players who are thugs and cheats(not just Ciftci but Paton, Connelly, Dillon etc.) and some of their fans who are so blinkered against anything negative about their club they cannot see what is in front of them to others that actually revel in the way the team cheat.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Big G

[12th Man]

Not proven    wtf.  Did he tell them that he wasn't playing that day and he was at his friends house all day playing  connect four. 

 

Hes starting to make Jim Goodwin look like a Morris dancer.

 

What goes around comes around, his cards are now marked, even if he did get a ban it wouldn't have helped us in any way at all.  Maybe the decisions against him in the future will be kinder to us

[Scarlet Pimple]

I picked up also on the comment, above, that "Their lawyer must have supported them"..i.e. suggested that the club proceed as the club saw fit?

But if he, the solicitor,  knew full well from the video evidence that the player broke the rules of the SFA isn't that tantamount to breaking the law with which he would be so familiar?

Also, it means , surely, that lawyers are not overly scrupulous about going about their business nor the clients they represent and that business and money trumps the processes of law which they are supposed to  provide as a matter of course in the community? 

Do you think I am being too harsh or do you detect lowering standards of integrity and conduct all over the world ?

 

But if the offending player  is going to get away with it,  it might reasonably be felt that he will continue. So, therefore, other clubs can police him and at the first hint of badness they descend on him and kick him to  a quivering pulp--after all, fair's fair since now we appear to know that blatant fouling can be overlooked without penalty?

 

Just a thought or two. ....

[+DoofersDad]

The job of lawyers is to look after the interests of their clients, not to uphold the law.  In other words, the only lawyer you should ever trust is your own.  Of course, the SFA disciplinary hearing is not a legal process in itself although there may be some loophole here whereby Ciftci might have had some legal claim against the SFA if they had banned him.

 

Perhaps this is all a variant on the blue dress phenomenon.  We saw Ciftci assault Warren whilst Scumdee Utd saw Ciftci valiantly but unsuccessfully trying to stop Warren falling to the ground after slipping on the tannadice mud.

[finmack]

Totally unbelievable. What idiots are on this panel?