Derek McInnes, the manager of Rangers, has been issued a four-match touchline ban by the Scottish Football Association (SFA) for comments he made regarding match officials while he was the head coach of Hearts. The ban includes one suspended match. Rangers have stated their intention to appeal the sanction.
The disciplinary action stems from remarks McInnes made following Motherwell’s defeat by Celtic in the penultimate fixture of last season. During that match, McInnes criticised a penalty decision that led to Celtic’s winning goal, which occurred in the final moments of the game. At the time, Hearts were competing with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race, which they ultimately lost on the final day.
Details of the Incident and Sanction
McInnes specifically described referee John Beaton’s decision to award a penalty for handball against Sam Nicholson, based on advice from video assistant Andrew Dallas, as “actually quite disgusting.” He further commented, “I shouldn’t be commenting on another game, but having seen that, it feels like us against everybody.”
The ban means that McInnes, who is 55 years old, will be in the stands rather than the dugout for Rangers’ season opener against Dundee United on July 31. He will also miss their Premiership game against Hibernian at Ibrox and their League Cup second-round tie scheduled for August 15/16. The fourth match of the ban will only be enforced if he commits a similar breach before the current season concludes.
This decision follows a week after former Motherwell player Elliot Watt received a four-match ban from the Scottish FA for his social media comments describing Celtic’s penalty as the “worst VAR decision in history.” Motherwell also incurred a fine of £5,000 due to their own social media post after the game.
Both McInnes and Motherwell were charged under disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits criticism that implies “bias or incompetence” on the part of match officials or undermines their character.
Rangers’ Stance and Upcoming Fixtures
Rangers issued a statement asserting that McInnes’s view on a match-defining decision did not constitute an attack on the competence or integrity of match officials. The club argued that his comments were directed at the specific decision itself, rather than being a broader critique of officials. They believe that, when considered fairly and in context, McInnes’s comments did not allege bias, incompetence, or dishonesty.
The club’s statement also highlighted that McInnes’s concerns were widely shared by other commentators across the UK. Furthermore, the Scottish FA’s independent Key Match Incident Panel later concluded that the referee’s initial decision was correct and that VAR should not have intervened. Rangers questioned the consistency of disciplinary actions, noting that similar language has been used by others in Scottish football with less severe or no disciplinary action.
Despite the comments predating McInnes’s appointment as Rangers manager, the club believes the issue is significant and warrants a challenge. They emphasized that respect for officials and legitimate scrutiny are not conflicting principles, and that managers, players, and clubs should be able to speak honestly about major decisions if Scottish football aims to improve standards and maintain trust.
McInnes’s touchline absence will impact Rangers’ initial competitive fixtures. Following the Dundee United match on July 31, the team is scheduled to play Hibernian on August 9 and their League Cup second-round tie on the weekend of August 15/16.
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Source: skysports.com
Dominic Hayes is the Sports News Writer at NewsGB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with five years of reporting experience. He started on a north-east sports desk. He holds a degree in Journalism from Teesside University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Middlesbrough, he follows pro golf and amateur boxing. “Fast and accurate is the only standard worth keeping.”
