Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been given a four-game touchline ban, with one suspended, for describing as “disgusting” the decision to award Celtic a late penalty at Motherwell in May.<\/p>\n
The comments, made at the end of last season when McInnes was in charge of Hearts, related to a stoppage-time spot-kick for handball that was converted by Kelechi Iheanacho.<\/p>\n
Celtic’s 3-2 victory at Fir Park<\/a> on 13 May kept them one point behind Hearts, who they beat to the title a few days later in a final-day decider.<\/p>\n Speaking to Sky Sports after a win against Falkirk at Tynecastle the same night, McInnes said: “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.<\/p>\n “Having seen it again, it’s disgusting. It is.<\/p>\n “I don’t think it’s a penalty kick.<\/p>\n “But we’re up against it. We’re up against everybody.”<\/p>\n McInnes will be in the stands as Rangers open the Scottish Premiership away to Dundee United on 31 July.<\/p>\n The same conditions will apply for the following league game at home to Hibernian and for a League Cup tie on the weekend of 15\/16 August.<\/p>\n The Scottish FA ban does not cover the Europa League qualifier against Polish side Jagiellonia Bialystok.<\/p>\n Following the late drama at Fir Park, referee John Beaton’s contact details were posted online, with police keeping his home under surveillance. A teenager was then charged “in connection with a data protection offence”.<\/p>\n SFA head of referees Willie Collum backed the call,<\/a> citing “clear evidence” with Sam Nicholson’s hand and arm “in an unnatural position” and the resulting contact “a punishable handball”.<\/p>\n