Derek McInnes touchline ban reduced to two matches following Rangers appeal

The Scottish Football Association has reduced the immediate touchline suspension for Rangers manager Derek McInnes from three matches to two following a successful club appeal. The overall four-match penalty remains intact, with the final two games suspended unless the 55-year-old breaches disciplinary rule 72 before the current season concludes.

The initial sanction stemmed from public comments McInnes made last May while managing Heart of Midlothian. He publicly labeled a late penalty awarded to Celtic against Motherwell as "disgusting". The controversy erupted after a video assistant referee check identified a handball by Sam Nicholson in added time.

That specific officiating decision carried massive financial and historical implications, as it kept Celtic in the title race before they ultimately denied Hearts a first top-flight championship in 66 years. The regulatory response to the subsequent fallout demonstrates the strict disciplinary framework governing public figures in European sport, where verbal criticism of officiating carries immediate operational consequences.

The consistency of the governing body is further evident in its parallel handling of the involved parties. Former Motherwell player Elliot Watt received a separate four-match ban for describing the same penalty as the "worst VAR decision in history". Additionally, the Fir Park club was fined £5,000 regarding their own social media post.

For Rangers, the disciplinary outcome arrives during a turbulent operational period. The club has already been eliminated from both the Europa League and Conference League this term. McInnes will now watch Wednesday’s broadcast fixture at Falkirk and Saturday’s home match against Motherwell from the stands, returning to the dugout for the subsequent league game against St Mirren.

His enforced absence precedes a critical commercial and sporting double-header against domestic rivals Celtic in mid-September. These high-profile Old Firm matches, broadcast nationally on Sky Sports, represent vital revenue and prestige moments for a Rangers side currently sitting five points behind their Glasgow rivals after securing their first domestic league win at Aberdeen on Sunday.