Rangers manager Derek McInnes has received a four-game touchline ban, with one game suspended, after he referred to the decision awarding Celtic a late penalty against Motherwell as “disgusting.” McInnes made these remarks at the end of last season while managing Hearts, regarding a stoppage-time penalty for handball converted by Kelechi Iheanacho.

Celtic’s 3-2 victory at Fir Park on May 13 kept them one point behind Hearts, whom they subsequently defeated to clinch the title on the final day.

Speaking to Sky Sports after a win against Falkirk at Tynecastle that same night, McInnes 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. Having seen it again, it’s disgusting. It is.” He further denied the validity of the penalty, adding, “I don’t think it’s a penalty kick. But we’re up against it. We’re up against everybody.”

McInnes will be in the stands when Rangers kick off the Scottish Premiership away at Dundee United on July 31. The ban will also apply for the subsequent league match against Hibernian and for a League Cup tie during the weekend of August 15-16. However, this ban does not cover the Europa League qualifier against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.

In the wake of the contentious decision at Fir Park, referee John Beaton’s contact details were shared online, leading to police surveillance of his home. A teenager was subsequently charged “in connection with a data protection offence.”

SFA head of referees Willie Collum backed the call, citing “clear evidence” showing that Sam Nicholson’s hand and arm were “in an unnatural position,” resulting in a punishable handball.

Motherwell and former midfielder Elliott Watt have already been sanctioned for their social media commentary on the issue. Watt, who has since transferred to Turkish club Samsunspor, was handed a four-match suspension for calling it “the worst VAR decision in history.” Motherwell faced a £5,000 fine for releasing a video captioned: “As the world of football mocks our game, we simply have to draw a line in the sand and shift the focus.”

The Scottish FA compliance officer has issued complaints to all three parties, referencing disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits publicly criticizing match officials in a manner that suggests bias or incompetence.

The suspended element of McInnes’s ban will be enforced if he violates rule 72 again before the end of the 2026-27 season.