THERE'S something about the punishment dished out to Ian Black for breaching SFA betting regulations that stinks to me.

The player has been having a flutter on football for seven years. All of a sudden, he is hauled in front of the disciplinary panel for it.

The Rangers midfielder is handed a 10-game ban - seven of which are suspended - and a £7500 fine.

Sorry, but I think the governing body has opened up a real can of worms with this case.

Everybody knows many footballers in this country bet on games. So are the SFA going to hit them all with 10-game bans? I doubt it.

Are bookmakers across the country going to shop players who go into their premises for a punt? I don't think so.

Of course, if rules have been broken then there has to be a punishment.

If you are not allowed to bet on football, and you have been caught doing so, then you have to face the consequences.

But I still find it staggering Black has been singled out.

For me, there is one guy who has taken the fall for something many of his colleagues are doing. An awful lot of them must be very worried just now.

Is the high street bookmaker responsible for reporting Black now going to do the same with all the other players who are doing exactly the same thing?

I would like to think that now this precedent has been set all the other players will be taken to task. But I doubt it will happen and I think that is horrendous.

A lot has been made of the fact that Black bet on his own team not to win a game on three occasions.

It has been asked whether the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hearts player can be trusted. But of course he can be trusted.

One of the times where he "bet against" his team was the Ramsdens Cup tie against Albion Rovers in July.

He gave Rovers a three-goal start in that game. And who scored the third goal for Rangers that day? Yes, Ian Black.

He effectively did himself out of money. So his commitment to his club's cause cannot be questioned.

The sad thing is that this whole worry affair will not stop Scottish footballers from betting on football. They will just ask their brother or a friend to put the bet on for them.

I had never heard of this rule myself.

When I played I had team-mates who would nip out of Ibrox and run up the Copland Road at two o'clock on match day to put a bet on. Nothing was ever said. It surprised me when I learned about it.

I find it staggering a Scottish footballer is not allowed to bet on a game in Holland or Italy or Spain.

Why not? What is wrong with doing that? How can they possibly influence what is happening in a game in a foreign country?

This is not, remember, about players with serious gambling problems. It is about players having a flutter. Putting a few quid, not hundreds and thousands of pounds, on a game.

PFA Scotland have spoken to their players about the rules. But I think relaxing the SFA regulations and coming into line with other associations should be explored.

Ian took a lot of stick last season. The Rangers fans expected more of him on the park. He was constantly complaining about the physical treatment he was receiving in the Third Division.

But this season he has been transformed. He has been playing alongside far better players and it has brought out the best in him. He has been one of Ally McCoist's most consistent performers.

Now, though, he is going to miss three games - against Arbroath, Queen of the South and Forfar. It could scupper his chances of getting a regular place in the team.

If somebody else comes in and performs well, he will lose his place. Rangers will be able to cope without him in these games with the size of squad they have at their disposal.

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