Lee Johnson in SFA climbdown as Hibs boss hits reverse on his 'broken' disciplinary system blast

Lee Johnson has performed a dramatic u-turn on his furious blast at refereeing standards and the SFA’s judicial process - by claiming the system is NOT broken.

The Hibs boss let fly a fortnight ago after Jimmy Jeggo was red carded by Craig Napier for catching St Johnstone’s Connor McLennan in the 1-1 draw in Perth with VAR failing to overturn the decision. Johnson slaughtered the sending off as “horrendous” at full-time while describing Napier’s performance as “really poor, as bad as I’ve seen”.

He went on to claim there was little point in contesting the sending off as the system was “broken”, particularly after Aberdeen’s Graeme Shinnie was hit with an extra game after failing with a red card appeal a week earlier. But Hibs hierarchy did launch an appeal which they won last week with the Jeggo red card reduced to a caution. And Johnson said this week: “I was pleased. I was very vocal after that game and you have to give credit where it’s due, I really feel that. The system clearly isn’t broken, because it’s got to the third part and justice has prevailed, if you like.

“I want to backtrack a little bit on that and say a lot of the stuff I say after games is emotive, but it is also because I want to help.”

Aberdeen have vowed to push for change and updating of the SFA’s disciplinary system after Shinnie was handed the extra game ban following a failed appeal last week.

Johnson reckons the Scottish game could learn from their counterparts south of the border. The former Sunderland and Bristol City boss said: “Down in England, we put numerous seminars on for referees and invite them in to training and let them train seven-a-sides and play run seven-a-sides and things like that.

“All I want is the Scottish game, and Hibs,