Rangers boss Derek McInnes sees his touchline ban cut after appeal

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has scored a partial success in his appeal against a touchline ban.

McInnes will now sit in the stands for this week’s William Hill Premiership games against Falkirk and Motherwell after having an immediate three-match suspension reduced to two games.

Half of the total four-match punishment will now be suspended until the end of the season.

McInnes was cited by the Scottish Football Association compliance officer over remarks made in the wake of Motherwell’s late defeat by Celtic in the penultimate fixture of last season.

The then Hearts boss had criticised the penalty decision which led to Celtic’s match-winner with the last kick of the game.

He was ruled to have broken a rule that comments should not imply “bias or incompetence” on match officials or impinge on their characters.

McInnes described referee John Beaton’s decision to award a penalty for handball against Sam Nicholson – on the advice of video assistant Andrew Dallas – as “actually quite disgusting”.

He added after his side’s 3-0 win over Falkirk: “I shouldn’t be commenting on another game, but having seen that, it feels like us against everybody.”

Celtic were facing the challenge of beating leaders Hearts 3-0 on the final day before Kelechi Iheanacho converted the penalty and they ultimately won the title in the closing moments of the season by overturning a one-point deficit with a 3-1 win.

Motherwell and former Fir Park midfielder Elliot Watt were also punished for the same offence following their reaction to the decision.

The Steelmen were fined £5,000 over social media content and former Scotland Under-21 international Watt, now at Samsunspor, was given a four-match ban for writing “worst VAR decision in history” on his X account.

Appeals against both punishments will be heard on Thursday.