Lennon has ban cut because of legal loophole

Published Apr. 1, 2011 1:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Scottish Football Association is set to rewrite its disciplinary procedures after Celtic manager Neil Lennon has had his touchline ban effectively cut because of a legal loophole.

Lennon was banned for four matches last month for squaring up to Rangers counterpart Ally McCoist after a match. But Lennon is now serving a four-match ban following an altercation with an official in November and Celtic has successfully argued that the suspensions must run concurrently rather than consecutively.

''They accept that Neil Lennon was guilty of misconduct,'' SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said. ''However, with regard to the timing of the suspension, we must accept that if our rules cannot be enforced in a court of law then they cannot be imposed and it is foolish to waste money defending such a point.''

Regan said the SFA recognized that its rules needed updating and that he had proposed a full rewrite.

The current loophole means Lennon can now return to the touchline for Celtic's April 9 Scottish Premier League match against St. Mirren.