Peter Hartley apology to Rangers good enough for Motherwell - Keith Lasley
- Published
Peter Hartley was talking ahead of Sunday's meeting with Rangers
Keith Lasley says Peter Hartley's apology for inflammatory comments about Rangers meant there was no need to strip the defender of the recently awarded Motherwell captaincy.
Hartley said it was "fun to watch" defender Fabio Cardoso "weeping" after breaking his nose last season.
Asked if he could lose the captaincy, assistant manager Lasley said: "No.
"I think how quickly he came out and apologised, he realised straight away that he's made a mistake."
Cardoso, who left Rangers this summer, was injured in a clash with Motherwell forward Ryan Bowman in their League Cup semi-final in October.
Hartley's comments came as the sides prepare to meet in the Premiership on Sunday and the Scottish FA's interim compliance officer will decide whether to take action.
"We can't control that," former club skipper Lasley said. "We just have to let them get on with their due process and we'll deal with that as a club as and when."
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, who was contacted by Motherwell counterpart Stephen Robinson, has also said that it is time to move on having accepted the apology for what he described as "naive" comments.
"I think he knew himself as soon as he came out the room," Lasley said of Thursday's media conference.
"It is something that can happen in an environment when the questions are coming thick and fast and cameras are pointing at you and he's said something he shouldn't have.
"I think his apology is right. It's not something that us as a club condone. It's not how we want to be seen as a football club.
"The captain is a spokesperson for the dressing-room, so it possibly carries a bit more weight. Hopefully we can move on after his apology."
Lasley went on to say the club would never encourage players to hurt an opponent.
"Yes, we play competitively, we play with a tempo and intensity in our game, but we've never gone out to cross that line," he explained.