Derek McInnes has had his Scottish FA hearing date confirmed before his first domestic campaign as Rangers manager, with the governing body listing Thursday, 16 July 2026 for the case.
The notice of complaint was published on Monday, 22 June, and names McInnes as Rangers manager, formerly of Heart of Midlothian. It relates to Motherwell v Celtic on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, when comments made after a late Celtic penalty drew scrutiny.
The case is now more than a reported disciplinary issue. The Scottish FA disciplinary update states that McInnes is alleged to have breached Rule 72, which covers public criticism of match officials in a way that indicates bias or incompetence, or impinges on their character.
Why The Date Matters For Rangers
The timing leaves Rangers with a clear pre-season checkpoint. McInnes is due before the panel just over two weeks before the Premiership opener away to Dundee United, a fixture already carrying extra weight because it starts a new Ibrox regime.
ReadRangers has already covered the shape of the Rangers Premiership opening run, and this hearing now sits directly in front of it.
Motherwell and Elliot Watt are also listed by the SFA over the same match. No sanction has been confirmed, but the official notice means McInnes will want the matter closed before his first competitive weeks are defined by touchline availability as much as team selection.
