Hearts to appeal Findlay red card after late Aberdeen penalty decides opener
Hearts contest Findlay’s 92nd-minute red, citing an attempt to play the ball and pointing to a similar yellow-card incident in the Motherwell vs Hibs match.
Hearts will contest the straight red card shown to defender Stuart Findlay in their 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen, arguing the punishment was too harsh and pointing to a similar incident that resulted in only a yellow card in the game between Hibernian and Motherwell.
The incident came deep into stoppage time on Saturday, with the score level and looking set to take a point on the opening day of the new Scottish Premiership season. Toyosi Olusanya broke into the box before being brought down by Findlay in the 92nd minute, prompting referee David Dickinson to award a penalty and send off the Hearts centre-back without VAR intervention. Kevin Nisbet then converted the spot-kick to secure a 2-1 victory for the Dons.
In a statement, Hearts said Findlay made a genuine attempt to win the ball and that a red card was not warranted for the challenge. The club highlighted what it described as a “near-identical incident” in Motherwell’s win over Hibernian, where Oscar Preistman received a yellow card rather than a red for a similar foul, using that to underline concerns over consistency in officiating.
Hearts added that being forced to question refereeing standards after just one match of the new campaign is not ideal, but felt compelled to act given the widespread debate around such decisions last season.
The statement concluded: “We trust that, on this occasion, justice will be served.”
If the appeal is successful, Findlay’s red could be downgraded to a yellow, potentially making him available for Hearts’ next league fixture against Dundee United. A failed appeal would leave the club dealing with the suspension while also adding to their ongoing frustrations about officiating consistency in the Premiership.