FOLLOWING several delays on the part of the Scottish Football Association, East Fife should finally find out this evening if the eight-match ban handed out to midfielder Kevin Fotheringham is to stand.

The 32-year-old was found guilty of making racist comments towards Stranraer’s Gregory Tade during a match at New Bayview in January and was hammered with the lengthy ban at a SFA disciplinary hearing.

Fotheringham has protested his innocence throughout and, with the support of the club, submitted an appeal which is due to be heard by the SFA’s disciplinary panel at 7pm tonight.

The appeal was originally expected to be heard in February but has been put off numerous times due to an SFA lawyer’s absence.

The club are hopeful that Fotheringham’s ban will overturned but have stressed that should the panel uphold the decision, legal action against the SFA will be a distinct possibility.

Manager Dave Baikie and vice-chairman Sid Collumbine, who will attend today’s hearing with Fotheringham at Hampden, have both spoken out against the length of the ban and how the case has been handled.

Baikie was also angry over the repeated delay, with any eight-match ban now due to kick in at the beginning of the 2008/9 season.