SFA backs stewards over cup final row

The Scottish Football Association has defended the Hampden Park stewards and condemned the conduct of the Livingston players Derek Lilley and Stuart Lovell after Sunday's CIS Insurance Cup final.

The players complained of heavy-handed security after the two celebrating players tried to approach family and friends at the national stadium following the victory over Hibernian. Lilley, who scored his side's first goal in the 2-0 win, was prevented from bringing his children on to the pitch while Lovell, the Livingston captain, was hustled away before being warned by the police.

But the SFA says both clubs were told beforehand about their conduct and claimed that stewards acted in the correct way to prevent serious injuries. The SFA's head of security, Willie McDougall, said: "The Livingston players have put their hands up and said that they were swearing and they were wanting to bring their wives and kids on to the park and that's not allowed.

"It's a cup final and, quite honestly, running to throw jerseys to the crowd in that particular area - where we have disabled fans at the front and a blind section - causes mayhem. This was clearly pointed out to the Livingston people prior to the game at the pre-operational meeting on Friday.

"Obviously in the heat of the moment of winning a cup final sometimes that's lost.

"There's no great issue in it. It was disappointing that the two Livingston players reacted the way they did to the police."