Derek McInnes will start his Rangers managerial career from the touchline stands after the Scottish Football Association (SFA) handed him a four-match suspension for comments made about a controversial Celtic penalty last season.
The ban relates to remarks issued by McInnes when he was Hearts manager. Following his side’s 3-0 victory over Falkirk in May, he described a stoppage-time VAR decision to award Celtic a penalty at Motherwell as “disgusting”. An SFA hearing at Hampden on Wednesday found he had breached disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits criticism of match officials that impinges on their character.
Fixture disruption
McInnes received a four-match suspension, though one match remains suspended until the end of the 2026-27 season. The punishment will affect the opening weeks of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership campaign.
The Ibrox club begin their league season with an away fixture against Dundee United on Friday week. McInnes will also be absent from the dugout for home matches against Hibernian and St Mirren. The timing of the ban means his first competitive touchline appearance for Rangers could be delayed until late August, depending on the exact scheduling of the fourth fixture.
The incident in context
The comments followed a pivotal moment in the title race. Referee John Beaton awarded Celtic a penalty deep into added time at Fir Park after a VAR review by Andrew Dallas. Kelechi Iheanacho converted the spot-kick to secure a 3-2 victory.
The result meant Celtic required only a win on the final day to clinch the championship, rendering Hearts’ earlier victory insufficient to keep the title race alive. Celtic subsequently secured the trophy with another late victory, extending their domestic dominance to five successive titles.
Parallel suspension for Elliot Watt
The SFA issued an identical four-match ban to Elliot Watt for remarks made about the same incident. The then-Motherwell midfielder, who has since joined Turkish club Samsunspor, posted on social media platform X that the decision was “the worst VAR decision in history”.
Watt was also charged with breaking rule 72. His suspension applies to domestic competition, though his move to Turkey means the practical impact differs from McInnes’s immediate touchline absence.
Both punishments underline the governing body’s strict approach to public criticism of officials, particularly regarding VAR interventions that attract significant media attention.