RANGERS MANAGER MCINNES BANNED FOR PENALTY CRITICISM

Derek McInnes, Rangers manager, has received a four-game touchline ban from the Scottish Football Association, with one match suspended, after criticising a penalty decision awarded to Celtic during the previous season. The penalty was awarded in stoppage time at Motherwell for handball and converted by Kelechi Iheanacho in a match that ended 2-1 to Celtic. McInnes, who was managing Hearts at the time, described the decision as "disgusting" and stated he did not believe it constituted a penalty kick.

McInnes will serve the ban during Rangers' opening Scottish Premiership fixture away to Dundee United on 31 July, the subsequent home league match against Hibernian, and a League Cup tie scheduled for the weekend of 15 and 16 August. The European qualifier against Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok is not covered by the suspension. The Scottish FA's head of referees Willie Collum defended the original decision, citing "clear evidence" that the handball was in an unnatural position and therefore punishable under the rules.

The penalty decision has prompted separate disciplinary action against other parties. Motherwell was fined £5,000 for releasing a video criticising the decision. Elliott Watt, Motherwell's former midfielder who has since joined Turkish club Samsunspor, received a four-match suspension for describing the decision on social media as "the worst VAR decision in history". The Scottish FA stated that all three parties were issued complaints under disciplinary rule 72 regarding public criticism of match officials.