Sunday, January 09, 2011

SFA reinstates sacked 'Pope e-mail' trio after appeal

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has reinstated three members of staff who were sacked for sending a tasteless e-mail relating to the Pope.

A total of five employees - including head of referee development Hugh Dallas - were fired in November following a disciplinary hearing.

Three have been give their jobs back following an appeal. Mr Dallas's appeal at the end of December was rejected.

The e-mail contained a joke about the Pope and child abuse.

It showed a road sign of an adult holding a child's hand. 

It was captioned - "Caution: The Pope is coming" in reference to the Papal visit to Scotland in September.

The five members of staff who were sacked were alleged to have forwarded the e-mail from their SFA accounts in breach of the organisation's IT policy.

The three members of staff who are believed to have been reinstated are secretary Amanda McDonald, audio-visual technician Tim Berridge and administrative assistant, Marco McIntyre.

The workers and representatives from the GMB union are thought to have attended a meeting on Wednesday with SFA officials.

A fifth member of staff who was sacked is not believed to have launched an appeal.

It is understood that Mr Dallas is considering taking the SFA to an employment tribunal after his appeal was rejected.

SIC: BBC/UK