By Alasdair Lamont

Rangers manager Walter Smith believes the disciplinary system in Scotland needs changed to ensure punishments are applied fairly across the board.

Allan McGregor will miss their game with Motherwell because of a ban based on video evidence of the goalkeeper aiming a kick at Chris Maguire.

Smith says Rangers' regular TV exposure makes them a more likely target.

"If they have a disciplinary system that applies to one, then it should apply to all," he said.

"Celtic and ourselves appear on the TV much more regularly than others and are probably under more scrutiny.

"I don't think anybody, including the authorities, is happy with the situation as it is. There are quite a few anomalies in that one.

If there was somebody making a complaint against one of my players, I would like to know who was making the complaint Celtic manager Neil Lennon

"We just have to go by the ruling at the present moment. It's been there for ages and we just seem to have to put up with it."

With regard to the manner in which the incident in Rangers' 3-2 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie was brought to the Scottish Football Association's attention, Smith said: "I don't think there is a particular person. I think it's a disciplinary body who view the weekend's games that bring it up.

"I think that's the way they do it. I think they're clever enough not to blame one person. And then it goes from there.

"I think it's put at the desk of the chief executive. I think that was the problem - they didn't have a chief executive in place.

"He only arrived on the Tuesday and I think that landed on his desk right away, which was maybe a little bit unfair.

"But we're not the first team to lose a player in this circumstance and I think it is something that has to be tidied up."

Another of Smith's gripes relates to the type of incident that can be retrospectively punished.

While McGregor's swipe at Maguire has led to him being punished for what amounts to violent conduct in the eyes of the football authorities, there is no scope for the SFA to punish players for incidents that were dealt with at the time by the referee.

Smith was asked specifically how he felt about McGregor's ban in relation to the yellow card earned by Hearts' Ian Black for a challenge on Nikica Jelavic, which has resulted in a serious ankle injury for the Croatian.

"That's one of the complaints you would have, where they're willing to put the referee under scrutiny for missing something and yet not put him under scrutiny for something he maybe didn't judge properly," the Rangers manager added.

"We've seen a player suspended for what they're considering to be an intent and we've got another one out for three months."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon would also like some transparency when Old Firm players are brought to book for their misdemeanours.

Asked if the complainant should be known in situations like McGregor's, Lennon replied: "Absolutely. If there was somebody making a complaint against one of my players, I would like to know who was making the complaint. Does anyone know who it is?

"You are under the spotlight more when you are at the Old Firm and our games are televised more than the other teams, so it would be a concern, yes.

"I think it also happened to Glenn Loovens a year or two ago in an Old Firm game."

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