Derek McInnes has been banned from the touchline for his first three domestic games as Rangers manager for his criticism of match officials. <p>He has been given a four-match ban, one suspended, for remarks made in the wake of Motherwell's late defeat by Celtic in the penultimate fixture of last season when he was Hearts head coach.</p><p>McInnes criticised the penalty decision which led to Celtic's match-winner with the last kick of the game. Hearts were in a closely-contested Scottish Premiership title race with Celtic at the time, which they eventually lost on the final day of the season at their title rivals.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/WatchSPApp" target="_blank">Got Sky? Watch now on the Sky Sports app</a> 📱 </strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.nowtv.com/plans/new/sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_Scotland_bloglink" target="_blank">Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract</a> <a href="http://ggggg/" target="_blank">📺</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11781/13551122/scottish-premiership-2026-27-fixtures-dates-schedule-every-match-across-opening-weekend-live-on-sky-sports">Scottish Premiership: Every match across opening weekend live on Sky Sports</a></strong></li></ul><widget id="2"></widget><p>He 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".</p><p>He added: "I shouldn't be commenting on another game, but having seen that, it feels like us against everybody."</p><p>The decision means the 55-year-old will be in the stands for Rangers' season opener at Dundee United on July 31, live on Sky Sports.</p><p>He will also not be in the dugout for their Premiership game against Hibernian at Ibrox and their League Cup second-round tie on the weekend of August 15/16.</p><p>The fourth match suspension will only be implemented if he breaches the same rule again before the end of the new season.</p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>It comes a week after former Motherwell player Elliot Watt was handed a four-match ban by the Scottish FA for describing Celtic's penalty as the "worst VAR decision in history" on social media.</p><p>The Fir Park side were fined £5,000 after their own social media post following that game.</p><p>They were also both charged with breaching disciplinary rule 72, which forbids criticism that indicates "bias or incompetence" on match officials or impinges on their characters.</p><h3><a href="https://www.skysports.com/rangers-scores-fixtures/2026-08-01">Rangers' opening 2026/27 Scottish Premiership fixtures</a></h3><p><strong>July</strong></p><p>31: Dundee United (a) – 8pm, <em>live on Sky Sports</em></p><p><strong>August</strong></p><p>9: Hibernian (h) – 4pm</p><p>22: St Mirren (h) – 3pm</p><p>29: Aberdeen (a) – 3pm</p><p><strong>September</strong></p><p>2: Falkirk (a) – 7.45pm</p><p>5: Motherwell (h) – 3pm</p><p>20: Celtic (a) – 12pm, <em>live on Sky Sports</em></p><p><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/13551048/rangers-scottish-premiership-2026-27-fixtures-and-schedule">Click here</a> for all of Rangers' Premiership fixtures.</strong></p>
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