Motherwell are not taking the punishment lying down and will appeal to the SFA to re-consider their verdict against John Boyle

Motherwell plan to appeal against the penalty imposed on chairman John Boyle following his touchline chat with Aberdeen manager Craig Brown. The pair exchanged words when Boyle approached his former employee immediately after Motherwell's 2-1 SPL win last month. Boyle shook Brown hand but put his other arm around the former Scotland manager's neck and whispered in his ear which lit the blue touch paper. On Tuesday Brown was warned about his conduct but escaped punishment following the ruling handed down by the SFA's disciplinary committee, while Boyle, who is stepping down as chairman of the club at the end of the season, was fined £2,500 and "severely warned as to his future conduct". 
 
Motherwell will challenge the ruling. A statement from the club said: "The club can confirm that it has received notification from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) that chairman John Boyle has been fined £2,500 and severely censured after being found guilty of 'behaving in an inappropriate and inflammatory manner towards the opposing team's club official' at a hearing in Glasgow. Motherwell FC is surprised at this outcome and fully intend to appeal the decision at the earliest possible opportunity." 
 
Brown and his assistant Archie Knox, who left Motherwell to take over at Aberdeen in December, had already launched a £25,000 legal action against the Lanarkshire club over unpaid bonuses for the club's Co-operative Insurance Cup run. The pair took Motherwell to a quarter-final win in October but had left the club, where they had not signed a contract, before the semi-final.