CRAIG LEVEIN has claimed he was managed to get off with a £32,000 fine from the SFA and to this day still HASN’T paid it.
The 60-year-old has had plenty of run-ins with officials during his managerial career, which stretches almost 30 years.
Craig Levein revealed how he managed to dodge not one but two hefty SFA fines[/caption]
During his time as boss of Hearts, Levein was slapped with a £1,000 fine by Hampden chiefs for comments made about referee Dougie McDonald following a match against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in May 2004.
The Jambos lost 1-0 and Levein, who saw two of his players sent off, said: “I lost count of the mistakes when it reached 97.”
SFA bosses didn’t take kindly to Levein’s allusions and expected him to pay up within the two week deadline.
Two weeks passed and he didn’t pay, so the fine was doubled.
And doubled again. And again. And again.
Levein clearly had no intention of paying the bill and the matter even ended up involving the courts.
The SFA also didn’t back down but as the case rumbled on into the second half of 2004, Levein’s growing reputation as a manager caught the eye of one of his former clubs, Leicester City.
They lured him to the Midlands from Edinburgh and as far as Levein is concerned, that was that when it came to his bill.
He told Open Goal: “It started off with two grand, then a double, four, eight, 16, 32.
“Then I f***** off to Leicester and didn’t pay it!”
That wasn’t the only fine Levein managed to avoid paying.
And that one relates to him becoming manager of Scotland.
Levein was in charge of Dundee United when the opportunity to manage Scotland came up.
George Burley had been sacked on the back of a poor qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup and Levein was one of the prime candidates for the role.
Levein made United top-six regulars in his tenure and his side also reached the League Cup final in 2008, losing to Rangers on penalties.
Whilst at Tannadice, Levein was slapped with a £5,000 fine by the SFA after accusing referee Mike McCurry of bias following a match against Rangers.
That occurred in August 2008 but a little more than a year later, he found himself escaping a similar fine involving referees.
And it gave him a huge hint as to his prospects of becoming the next Scotland boss.
In December 2009, Levein was under consideration for the post but hewas hit with a charge around the same time for using foul and abusive language towards an official.
Levein recalled how he rocked up to his disciplinary hearing ready to admit his sins.
But much to his bewilderment, he was LET OFF scot-free.
Levein said: “I knew I was going to get the job, you know that?
“I was up for two foul and abusive language charges against referees. Two weeks in a row, I got summoned to go through to Hampden to get my hearing.
“I was bang to rights. And I got off with it!
“And then, two days later, I got offered the Scotland job.
“I couldn’t f believe it.
“I went in there saying, ‘Aye, it was me, I’d done it’, and the rest of it. And they let me off.
“I couldn’t believe it because I’d been up to a 32 grand fine at one point.”
Craig Levein unveiled as Scotland boss in 2009[/caption]
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