Rangers boss Michael Beale would receive a fair play award if SFA chiefs follow their English counterparts after former Scotland international Paul Dickov was honoured for a similar act of sportsmanship.
Ibrox boss Beale has been widely praised after ordering his players to allow Partick Thistle to walk the ball into the net and equalise in the Scottish Cup tie after Malik Tillman had scored a controversial goal when the Jags were trying to give the ball back to Rangers.
Thistle's Scott Tiffoney was allowed to go unchallenged to equalise and Beale insisted his actions were the right thing to do. Rangers went on to win 3-2.
Former Manchester City and Arsenal star Dickov was in charge of Doncaster Rovers in 2015 when Harry Forrester, who would go on to play for Rangers, accidentally overhit an intended clearance back to the Bury side they were playing after the ball had been put out of play for an injured player and it flew over keeper Christian Walton into the net n the opening English League One match of the season.
Dickov, who won ten caps for Scotland, ordered his players to step aside and allow Bury striker Leon Clarke to equalise and the match finished 1-1. The Football League rewarded him at Doncaster's very next match with a special Fair Play award.
The EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: "Every club manager wants to begin the new season with three points, so for Paul to focus on the game’s best interests at a moment of intense pressure is something that deserves this special recognition.”
Dickov insisted at the time: "I’m actually a little bit embarrassed by all the plaudits to be honest. I think any other manager in my position would have done the same thing.
"One thing we have here at Doncaster within football is a really good name and it was important to keep that. The reaction it’s had has been absolutely fantastic, especially with coverage coming from all over the world.
“People have been very supportive and if anything, it’s raised the profile of the ethos of this club which is great for everyone. But away from all that, I firmly believe it was the right thing to do.”
And there was another Scottish connection to similar acts of sportsmanship...involving current Hibs boss Lee Johnson.
Johnson was playing for his father Gary's club Yeovil Town in a League Cup tie in 2004 against Plymouth when he overhit his clearance attempting to put the ball back to the keeper after an injury and it sailed into the net. Gary Johnson allowed current Dundee United assistant manager Steviue Crawford to go through unchallenged and equalise for Plymouth. The future Hibs manager went on to score a hat-trick that game.
His father later stated: "It was the right thing to do."
Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa was also praised by Arsene Wenger after allowing Aston Villa to score in a heated Championship game in 2019 from another similar incident.
