Burley says he did not ban players

April 13, 2009

George Burley has been quick to distance himself from the recent decision to ban Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor for life from the Scotland team as well as quickly denying that he sanctioned the late night drinking session that go the two players in trouble after the Holland.

“The Scotland manager doesn’t decide who’s banned,” he said.

“I stress, I didn’t ban them. The Scottish FA board as a whole decide these matters. I’m not on the board.”

Previously, Burley had said that, following discussions with Smith and SFA president George Peat, “we were in agreement about what needed to be done,” regarding the players’ international futures.

Rangers duo McGregor and Ferguson also received 2 week bans from their clubs and Ferguson was stripped of the club captaincy.

“I don’t think it’s been handled greatly,” Burley admitted.

“I just want to clarify a few matters and be black and white about the facts. It’s important people know how the SFA works.

“The board ask the manager what he thinks and I was very disappointed and hurt by the actions of Ferguson and McGregor on the bench.

“But I stress, it’s not me, it’s not the chief executive, it’s not the president, but the board as a whole who decide whether to ban anyone and decide if somebody should get back in the squad.

“They might come back to me in the future and ask for my opinion, which I will give them.”

Burley was also eager to correct any suggestion that he had given the green light for Scotland squad members to drink alcohol in the early hours following their return from Amsterdam.

“The players all went for food and two of my staff innocently agreed to allow them to have a drink,” he said.

“I was unaware the players were at the bar.

“If I had known, I would have arranged for someone to make sure they went to their beds after one drink.”

The SFA have pledged that Scotland squad representatives will be issued with a code of conduct and could be accompanied by minders in order to prevent similar events taking place in the future.

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