Jefferies could pay further

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies will face the Scottish Football Association disciplinary committee after being charged with excessive misconduct following his protests during his team`s 3-0 defeat at Celtic Park.

Jefferies was sent to the stand during the Clydesdale Bank Premier League match after complaining that Daryl Murphy was offside in the build-up to Celtic`s opening goal.

The Hearts boss will receive an automatic two-match touchline ban after referee Willie Collum reported him for offensive, insulting and abusive language. However, Collum is understood to have accused Jefferies of "excessive misconduct" in his match report, which arrived at the SFA offices on Tuesday.

That could see him hit with further punishment on top of the statutory two-match suspension.

Jefferies has until Monday to appeal against his automatic ban, which will otherwise see him sit in the stand for home SPL matches against Motherwell and Rangers.

His additional charge is likely to be considered by the SFA`s disciplinary committee on October 19. The punishment could be an additional touchline ban or a fine.

The panel is due to meet next Tuesday but they have already set the agenda, which includes an identical charge against Hearts coach Gary Locke, who was sent to the stand against Dundee United last month and is currently serving a two-match ban.

Jefferies declared he would be reporting Collum to the SPL after the match, accusing the referee of speaking to him "like a two-year-old kid" after claiming he was owed an apology over the goal.

But Jefferies has since apologised to assistant referee Francis Andrews after accepting Murphy was onside before setting up James Forrest for the opener, despite his insistence to the contrary in the post-match press conference.