'Nonsense' - Ex-FIFA official blasts Hibernian over incident vs Hearts, wants SFA to intervene

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Credit: Getty Images Sky Sports Sat 27 December 2025 14:59, UK Hearts’ Scottish Premiership title chances took a massive hit on Saturday when they lost the Edinburgh derby 3-2.It was a match to forget for Derek McInnes, who was unable to complete the comeback, with the Jambos 3-0 down just after half-time.As a result, Celtic and Rangers fans rejoiced as their title hopes received a welcome boost.However, there was also plenty of controversy before the match had even kicked off, with Hibs putting on a pyrotechnic display at Easter Road ahead of kick-off.With smoke filling the air, the SFA have been told to intervene.Keith Hackett: SFA need to intervene over Hibernian’s pyrotechnic displayAs the teams came out at Easter Road, they were greeted by multiple pyrotechnic displays as Hibs looked to increase the atmosphere for the Edinburgh derby.However, as kick-off commenced, it was clear that the smoke had not departed at Easter Road, impeding the vision of supporters and the TV cameras. MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Looking at the incident, Keith Hackett, who has called out the refereeing in Scotland numerous times this season, was quick to demand the SFA do more to protect their officials and end this display before matches.Hibs renewed their European ambitions with the victory Whereas Hearts’ title hopes took a hitThe two sides remain separated by 13 pointsHe exclusively told Football Insider: “I really do believe that the Scottish Football Association need to intervene and put a stop to these nonsense pyrotechnics on several grounds.“This sends out the wrong message to fans who the SFA will sanction for setting off their own pyrotechnics inside the stadium.⁠“Clearly, the residual smoke impairs the fans’ ability to have clarity on what action is taking place inside the stadium.⁠“The smoke makes life very difficult for the match officials, particularly the Assistant Referees who have to make those fine decisions in offside.A huge three points in Leith! 💚 pic.twitter.com/gOJJU07NoX— Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) December 27, 2025 “From a commercial aspect, those that sponsor the game, the teams have every right for their company logos to be clearly visible throughout the game.“I would like to see this aspect of pre-game presentation to be stopped immediately.”Hearts need to quickly move on from Hibs defeatWhile the overall performance against Hibs was poor, Hearts showed at the end that they still had plenty of fight in this title race.The fact that their first shot on target didn’t come until the 68th minute is woeful, and their consistency across the match needs to be addressed.Hearts will be transformed if they win the Scottish Premiership this season, and this achievement is still in their hands.A victory over Livingston will see this result quickly brushed aside, and this is exactly what McInnes needs to achieve on 3 January.