Michael Stewart has echoed the view of Hibs boss Lee Johnson after Saturday's 1-1 draw with St Johnstone.
The Hibees drew level through veteran Lewis Stevenson as they aimed to ensure a top six place but were left fuming when James Jeggo was ordered off by referee Craig Napier with VAR officials concurring with the whistler. The call sparked major debate among pundits and fans alike as Johnson told his post-match comments that the system is 'broken'.
Former Hearts and Hibs star Stewart went in on the officials for the call, claiming at times the process for decision making is like 'parents mollycoddling their kids'. He also branded the call 'ludicrous' as he believes Jeggo won the ball as clean as a whistle.
READ MORE: Lewis Stevenson 'closed' his eyes before scoring as he rues Hibs red card in St Johnstone draw
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When quizzed on the call, Stewart told Sportscene: “Do you need me to say anything? It’s a ludicrous decision. James Jeggo wins the ball.
“I thought Lee Johnson summed it up perfectly. If you want to eliminate the risk of anyone injuring themselves then you’re going to have a very boring game.
“It’s like parents mollycoddling their kids. You’re going to get kids who aren’t able to sample life to its fullest. Football is a contact sport. At times you're going to make contact and you might get hurt.
“It’s incredible the officials could look at that and the VAR officials sitting in the studio watching that and still think the ref has made the right decision. I’ve no doubt the furore around the Graeme Shinnie decision has played its part in that.
“The way the SFA have gone back and said it was an appeal that had no chance and adding a game on, those things will play on the back of the minds of officials. It’s a ludicrous decision, never a red card. It shouldn’t even be a yellow card, he wins the ball.”
Johnson himself didn't hold back after the match and revealed his shock during the moment that the call was not overturned.
He said: “I didn’t think it was a red. Really poor decision from two sets of officials. The officials on the day and the VAR. It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen too much inconsistency throughout the season.
“It comes down to ‘what am I coaching my players?’. It’s a contact sport. When a player wins the ball cleanly and an opposition players steams in on the blind side and maybe gets caught and for a player to go is ridiculous, particularly for the magnitude of the game.
“I was looking at my CEO who is a friend of mine as well and I was relaxed and saying ‘don’t worry, this is going to get overturned’. Much to my shock, it wasn’t.
“The system is broken. It needs fixing and I trust the powers of be to do that."
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