Rangers to contest ban
Rangers are set to appeal a four-match touchline ban issued to manager Derek McInnes by the Scottish FA. The sanction stems from comments McInnes made last season, when he was manager of Hearts, regarding a late penalty awarded to Celtic during their match against Motherwell in May. McInnes had described the decision as “disgusting.”
The club stated that McInnes’s remarks were aimed at the specific decision rather than being a broader criticism of officials. They believe his comments, when considered in context, did not suggest bias, incompetence, or dishonesty. Rangers also highlighted that similar language has been used in Scottish football previously, with some individuals receiving lesser disciplinary action or no action at all, raising questions about consistency in rule application.
The penalty in question was a stoppage-time spot-kick for handball, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted, securing a 3-2 victory for Celtic at Fir Park on 13 May. This result kept Celtic one point behind Hearts, ultimately leading to Celtic winning the title a few days later.
McInnes’s comments and wider reaction
Speaking after a win against Falkirk at Tynecastle on the same night, McInnes expressed his view on the penalty. He stated, “When you heard Celtic got a 96th-minute penalty that was going to VAR and they were checking it, you just assume what’s happened is they get the penalty.” He added, “Having seen it again, it’s disgusting. It is. I don’t think it’s a penalty kick. But we’re up against it. We’re up against everybody.”
Rangers noted that McInnes’s concerns were widely shared by commentators across the UK. The Scottish FA’s independent Key Match Incident Panel later concluded that the referee’s original decision was correct and that VAR should not have intervened.
The ban, which includes an immediate three-game suspension and one game suspended until the end of the season, would see McInnes in the stands for Rangers’ Scottish Premiership opener away to Dundee United on 31 July. It would also apply to the subsequent league game at home to Hibernian and a League Cup tie on the weekend of 15/16 August. However, the ban does not cover the Europa League qualifier against Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Disciplinary rule and other sanctions
The Scottish FA compliance officer issued complaints under disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits criticism of officials’ decisions in a way that suggests bias or incompetence, or making remarks that impinge on their character. Rangers argue 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 to raise standards and maintain trust in Scottish football.
Following the incident at Fir Park, referee John Beaton’s contact details were posted online, leading to police surveillance of his home and a teenager being charged in connection with a data protection offence. SFA head of referees Willie Collum supported the penalty call, citing “clear evidence” of Sam Nicholson’s hand and arm being in an “unnatural position” and the resulting contact being a “punishable handball.”
Motherwell and their former midfielder Elliott Watt also faced sanctions related to social media posts about the incident. Watt, who has since joined Turkish club Samsunspor, received a four-match suspension for describing it as “the worst VAR decision in history.” Motherwell was fined £5,000 for releasing a video with a caption that read, “As the world of football mocks our game, we simply have to draw a line in the sand and shift the focus.”
The club believes that scrutiny, transparency, and accountability are essential for improving standards, not a threat to them, and will proceed with their appeal against McInnes’s ban.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
