Hibs boss Nick Montgomery WON’T now be mic’d up for the Edinburgh derby clash against Hearts after the Scottish Football Association stepped in to pull the plug on the innovative move at the eleventh hour.
The Easter Road gaffer had agreed for armchair fans to hear him throughout the 90 minutes of the action after Hibs agreed to the request from Sky Sports and the SPFL. It would have been a Scottish football first, with a body cam on Montgomery’s assistant Sergio Raimundo and cameras inside the home team’s dressing room.
However, SFA chiefs raised concerns over the move which included fears that the ability to hear tactical instructions and substitutions could give the upper hand to the opposition and risk the integrity of the game. And, similarly, there were also concerns over integrity breaches in terms of gambling given punters would have access to information usually restricted to those in the dug-out. And, thirdly, Hampden chiefs had issues over potential abuse of referee John Beaton and fellow officials being broadcast.
Sky had gone directly to the SPFL and agreed the move, along with Hibs, as they have done previously in England with the Premier League. The English FA don’t get involved in such matters but the SFA have stepped in to pull the plug.
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.