Burley was unaware that players were allowed alcohol at the squad hotel

Scotland manager George Burley says it was not his decision to ban Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor for life from the national squad.

Burley added that he did not sanction the drinking session that led to the two players being dropped for the World Cup qualifier against Iceland.

"The Scotland manager doesn't decide who's banned," he said.

"I stress, I didn't ban them. The Scottish FA board as a whole decide these matters. I'm not on the board."

Previously, Burley had said that, following discussions with Smith and SFA president George Peat, "we were in agreement about what needed to be done," regarding the players' international futures.

Rangers players Ferguson and McGregor were given lifetime bans from representing Scotland after making V-sign gestures from the bench before the 2-1 win over Iceland on 1 April.

Their demotion to the substitutes bench was punishment for their roles in a lengthy drinking session at the Scotland squad hotel after returning from the defeat 3-0 in the Netherlands.

The pair were also suspended by their club for two weeks and Ferguson was stripped of the Ibrox captaincy.

However, the Scotland manager has revealed that although his opinion was asked he did not have the last word on the matter.

"I don't think it's been handled greatly," Burley admitted.

Two of my staff innocently agreed to allow them to have a drink. I was unaware the players were at the bar Scotland manager George Burley

"I just want to clarify a few matters and be black and white about the facts. It's important people know how the SFA works.

"The board ask the manager what he thinks and I was very disappointed and hurt by the actions of Ferguson and McGregor on the bench.

"But I stress, it's not me, it's not the chief executive, it's not the president, but the board as a whole who decide whether to ban anyone and decide if somebody should get back in the squad.

"They might come back to me in the future and ask for my opinion, which I will give them."

Burley was also eager to correct any suggestion that he had given the green light for Scotland squad members to drink alcohol in the early hours following their return from Amsterdam.

"The players all went for food and two of my staff innocently agreed to allow them to have a drink," he said.

"I was unaware the players were at the bar.

"If I had known, I would have arranged for someone to make sure they went to their beds after one drink."

The SFA have pledged that Scotland squad representatives will be issued with a code of conduct and could be accompanied by minders in order to prevent similar events taking place in the future.

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