Derek McInnes will start his Rangers reign in the stands after the Scottish FA handed him a four-match ban, one suspended until the end of 2026-27, for calling Celtic’s stoppage-time penalty at Motherwell “actually quite disgusting”. The punishment means he is out for Rangers’ season opener against Dundee United on July 31, and for the home games against Hibernian and St Mirren. Rangers now begin the league season without their new man on the touchline.
The sanction and the first games missed
There is a small wrinkle in how the sanction is being described, but the practical effect is the same. McInnes has three immediate touchline games to serve, with a fourth suspended. The Scottish FA ruled that his comments breached disciplinary rule 72 after he said, “I shouldn't be commenting on another game, but having seen that, it feels like us against everybody.”
The opener makes the ban immediate rather than symbolic. Dundee United finished seventh in the Premiership, while Celtic ended the Championship Round first and Hearts were second when McInnes made the comments as Hearts head coach. The disputed penalty came in the game at Motherwell, and the SFA decided the wording crossed the line.
The consistency argument around the case
Rangers can point to precedent if they want to argue the punishment feels harsh. Peter Grant, then Alloa Athletic manager, used the word “disgusting” after a February 2021 defeat to Dunfermline and was not punished. Elliot Watt was also handed a four-match ban for calling the same Celtic penalty the “worst VAR decision in history” on social media.
That does not erase the sanction McInnes has been given. It does show why the case is likely to irritate Rangers even before a ball is kicked, because their new manager now has to watch the first three domestic games from elsewhere. The suspended game also hangs over the season until the end of 2026-27.
The short version is simple enough. McInnes goes into the opening weeks of his Rangers job already serving a punishment that began with one word and ends with him missing Dundee United on July 31.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
