Celtic are demanding 'transparency and consistency' from the SFA over the 'Rangers Five' ban delay.

The five Gers players who broke strict Covid protocols by attending a house party - Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu, Brian Kinnear, Dapo Mebude and Calvin Bassey - were all hit with six match bans, two suspended, after the SFA ruled.

However it took two months for the governing body to come to their conclusion and now Gers' appeal will be heard AFTER the upcoming derby in the Scottish Cup fourth round on April 17. That means Patterson, Zungu and Bassey will be able to play the crunch game against their rivals should manager Steven Gerrard pick them.

Celtic are now seeking clarity on the issue after the SFA dealt with their own rulebreaker, Boli Bolingoli, earlier this season in a much more pacey manner, leaving them to catch up on Premiership games due to a fixture pileup.

A spokesman for the club said: "There have been a number of calls for ‘consistency’ this season – we couldn’t agree more. The SFA has dealt with other cases swiftly this season and only they can explain the timing in this case.

“We have therefore sought clarification from the Scottish FA so that Scottish football can understand the approach in disciplinary cases, in the interests of transparency and consistency.”