What SFA sanctions Derek McInnes could face after Celtic penalty comments

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Derek McInnes has been hit with an SFA charge over his “disgusting” comments over Celtic’s penalty at Motherwell last season.

Celtic were correctly awarded a spot kick in the dying minutes of the win against Motherwell after a VAR review by John Beaton after Sam Nicholson handled the ball as he challenged Auston Trusty.

The award left McInnes raging as he branded the Celtic decision ‘disgusting’ and the now Rangers manager could face a touchline ban for his outburst.

• READ MORE: Tony Watt spots the Scotland mistake Celtic never make with Kieran Tierney

Are the SFA correct to charge Derek McInnes for his Celtic penalty outburst?

Why did it take so long for the governing body to take action? 👇

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The punishment McInnes could be handed at Rangers for Celtic penalty meltdown

McInnes is not alone in facing action. Motherwell and midfielder Elliott Watt are also included after social media posts that were published following Celtic’s win.

The SFA has confirmed a formal hearing date of July 16. The case sits under Rule 72 of the disciplinary code, which covers the following:

• Prohibits comments implying bias or incompetence of match officials
• It also covers remarks that question the character of referees
• Otherwise brings the game into disrepute

In McInnes’ case, the word “disgusting” in reference to the Celtic penalty is key to the complaint, with the SFA now needing to decide if he has crossed the line.

The SFA sanction McInnes could face for Celtic penalty outburst

Sanctions for this type of rule breach could go in one of three ways for McInnes. The SFA could deliver:

• A touchline ban: He could be hit with a multi-match ban, forcing him to watch his upcoming Rangers games from the stands rather than the dugout.
• A fine: The SFA routinely issues heavy fines to both managers and their clubs for rules violations regarding referee criticism.
• A suspended ban: In some instances, a portion of the ban or fine may be suspended, acting as a final warning that will only trigger if McInnes commits another offence within a set period.

What matters now is how the disciplinary panel deal with McInnes because Celtic fans will remember Brendan Rodgers facing this same charge two years ago after his comments about John Beaton, ironically, at Hearts.