Newly appointed Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been issued with a Scottish FA Notice of Complaint after describing Celtic’s late-season penalty award against Motherwell as “disgusting”.
Motherwell and midfielder Elliott Watt have also been cited by the governing body over social media posts made in the aftermath of the controversial Fir Park incident, which became one of the defining flashpoints of the SPFL title race.
All three will now face disciplinary hearings on July 16 after the furious reaction to the 96th-minute penalty awarded to Celtic in their penultimate league match of the campaign.
At the time, McInnes was still in charge of Hearts before his move to Ibrox, with the Tynecastle club battling to maintain their advantage at the top of the Premiership ahead of the final match against Martin O’Neill’s side.
The decision, awarded against then-Motherwell player Sam Nicholson following a VAR review, triggered weeks of debate. Speaking on Sky Sports, McInnes criticised the call post-match.
“When you heard Celtic got a 96th-minute penalty and it was going to VAR, you just assume what’s happened is they get the penalty,” he said.
“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.”
Motherwell also found themselves under scrutiny after posting on X: “As the world of football mocks our game, we simply have to draw a line in the sand and shift the focus.”
Watt’s own post, in which he labelled the decision “the worst VAR decision in history”, has also been included in the complaint.
The aftermath of the incident intensified when referee John Beaton’s contact details were shared online, resulting in the category one official requiring police protection.
Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell condemned the reaction, describing the situation as unacceptable and warning that all involved parties had contributed to an escalating environment.
“It is just not right, it is fundamentally not right,” he said.
“If anyone has played any sort of part, everyone has to look at every bit that makes that happen, every bit of media commentary, whether it is a statement from a club, a manager talking after a game or a player.
“There are a lot of bits that escalate to the point that someone says, ‘I am going to stick a referee’s details online’.
“How anyone thinks that is acceptable is an absolute disgrace.”
The SFA compliance officer has brought the charges under disciplinary rule 72, which prohibits anyone under the governing body’s jurisdiction from making comments that criticise match officials in a way that suggests bias or incompetence, or that impinge on their character.
McInnes could face a possible ban from the dugout for his Premiership Rangers debut, as the Gers head to Tannadice to face Dundee United on July 31.
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