Gascoigne pays price

The potentially damaging effect of Paul Gascoigne's sending-off against Celtic surfaced yesterday, when it was confirmed that the England midfielder will miss five matches through suspension.

Gascoigne automatically misses tomorrow's visit to Motherwell, the game immediately following the dismissal. He has also exceeded the points limit allowed under the SFA's disciplinary system and, on the count-back procedure, is due another four games.

That takes effect from December 3rd, causing his absence from the home games with Hibernians and Dundee United and the away matches against Dunfermline and Hearts. The only game he will play between now and the next Old Firm collision, at Celtic Park on January 2nd, will be against St Johnstone at Ibrox tomorrow week.

The Rangers manager, Walter Smith, was clearly unhappy about referee John Rowbotham's decision to send Gascoigne off for the first time in Scottish football. But there is no appeal allowed against a red card under SFA regulations.

Any player who feels wronged may request a personal hearing and state his case in the hope of avoiding conviction and sentence. But there is little likelihood of Gascoigne or Rangers, despite their dissatisfaction, taking such action. Rangers' other midfielder, Rino Gattuso, also misses the Motherwell match tomorrow because of a one-match ban, while Celtic's Craig Burley is suspended for tomorrow's home game with Dundee United and team-mate Morten Wieghorst, booked on Wednesday before he was the target of Gascoigne's flailing arms, has incurred a two-match ban.