We have to take head injuries seriously - Kettlewell

Stuart Kettlewell has called for Scottish football to take head knocks seriously after failing to get clarity on why Motherwell's game with Dundee was not stopped following a double blow for Kofi Balmer.

The Motherwell boss feels defender Balmer was fouled when he attacked a corner before being dragged to the ground and caught with a knee to the face and stud to the head.

Balmer was still lying in the opposite penalty area with blood coming out of his mouth when referee John Beaton played on, allowing Dundee to break upfield to score.

Kettlewell says the club had received no clarity after talks between chief executive Brian Caldwell and the Scottish FA's head of referees Willie Collum following the 4-1 defeat.

"Why I say that is because we've had a mixed message, on whether there was a head knock, or whether they'd seen a head knock, or whether the head knock was there but they didn't think it was too significant, or they just didn't completely see the player lying on the ground," said Kettlewell.

"So I feel we've had a few different versions of that until we get to the end point, which is ultimately, if we'd seen it, we would have stopped the game.

"'He's on the ground', was my exact words, 'he's holding his head, and he's motionless.' Those were my words. I understand that the referee might be following the ball but that's why it's a team of officials.

"As match officials, when you see someone lying on the ground, falling to the ground, holding their head, not moving, you do not get to decide how bad that is. I thought universally that was just something that stopped.

"We're going to have to start taking these head injuries seriously. Hhow bad does it need to get before somebody actually starts to take it really, really seriously and starts to implement real strategy to try and protect the player, get medical attention on the pitch as quick as you possibly can when there's a blow to the head or two blows to the head?"