Hearts' Jefferies to face SFA disciplinary committee

Highlights - Celtic 3-0 Hearts

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies will face the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee after being charged with excessive misconduct.

Jefferies has since apologised for the behaviour that resulted in him being sent to the stand in his side's 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park on Saturday.

Referee Willie Collum ordered Jefferies off for complaining that Daryl Murphy was offside for Celtic's opening goal.

His punishment could be increased beyond the automatic two-match ban.

Jefferies has since contacted the SFA head of referee development, Hugh Dallas, to apologise to assistant ref Francis Andrews.

Ultimately, if someone has been abusive towards the match officials during the game, I don't think the match officials should entertain them after the game Former SFA referee Kenny Clark

Television replays later proved Andrews correct in his decision not to flag Murphy offside, and Jefferies will now receive an automatic two match touchline ban for being sent off in addition to facing the disciplinary committee to answer for his behaviour.

Collum reported him for offensive, insulting and abusive language and "excessive misconduct" in his match report, which arrived at the SFA offices on Tuesday.

Jefferies could also face a charge of bringing the game into disrepute for comments he made after the match.

The Hearts boss said after his side's 3-0 defeat in Glasgow that he had reported referee Collum to the Scottish Premier League's observer.

The Hearts boss claims, after he disputed Celtic's opening goal, Collum spoke to him "like a little boy".

But the Scottish Football Association will take action against Jefferies.

It is believed that the referee's report accused Jefferies of using obscene and insulting language towards the officials.

Andrews - who is regarded by the SFA as one of the top assistant referees in Europe - is convinced that he made the correct decision not to raise his flag.

Jefferies said he had been told by his club's own television crew that their footage showed that Forrest's goal was offside, along with Celtic's second, scored by Shaun Maloney.

The manager also claimed he had been told that Andrews believed Collum should have given Hearts a second-half penalty when David Templeton came crashing to the ground on the edge of the box under pressure from Celtic defender Emilio Izaguirre.

However, BBC television pictures suggest that Hearts defender Darren Barr had played Murphy onside for the opening goal and footage is inconclusive for the second.

Jefferies (right) was shown to the stand after Celtic's first goal

There looks to be contact between Templeton and Izaguirre with Hearts 2-0 behind, although Hearts appear to have had a stronger case for a free-kick marginally outside the box than for a penalty even though Celtic manager Neil Lennon himself thought it might have been a spot-kick.

Jefferies said he had demanded an apology from Collum for not ruling out the opening goal for offside but had been shown "a lack of respect".

However, although he had not yet seen clear television footage of the incidents, former referee Kenny Clark believes that the Hearts manager was using tactics designed to divert attention from losing their unbeaten run this season.

"Any complaint by Jim Jefferies will be treated with the disdain it deserves," he told BBC Scotland.

"Ultimately, if someone has been abusive towards the match officials during the game, I don't think the match officials should entertain them after the game.

"This was Hearts' first real test of the season after being on a good run and these remarks appear designed to distract everyone from their defeat.

"The Hearts fans, judging by the internet message boards, have bought into that rather than examining the manager's tactics and his players' performances."

Meanwhile, Jefferies is bracing himself for being suspended from the touchline after the referee's report arrives at the SFA offices on Monday.

"My record is good, but I will probably get banned," said the manager, who would then face further action for his after-match comments.