Former Celtic midfielder Peter Grant has been dragged into Derek McInnes’ Scottish FA disciplinary hearing as the new Rangers manager attempts to avoid punishment for his comments about Celtic’s late penalty against Motherwell last season.
SunSport reports that Grant’s past remarks will form part of McInnes’ defence at Hampden, with his legal team expected to argue that the Scottish FA has not dealt with similar comments consistently.
McInnes was Hearts manager when Celtic secured a dramatic 3-2 victory at Fir Park in May. Referee John Beaton awarded a stoppage-time penalty after being advised by VAR to review a possible handball, with Kelechi Iheanacho converting from the spot.
Rather than accepting the decision, McInnes launched into a furious reaction despite not being involved in the match.
He described the call as “disgusting” before adding: “We’re up against it. We’re up against everybody.”
That second remark is likely to be particularly important when the Scottish FA considers the case. McInnes did more than criticise an individual refereeing decision. His comments appeared to suggest a wider grievance about how Hearts were being treated during the title race.
The governing body later issued him with a Notice of Complaint, and he now faces the possibility of a touchline suspension as he prepares for his first league campaign as Rangers manager.
His defence is reportedly set to rely partly on comments Grant made while in charge of Alloa Athletic in 2021. The former Celtic midfielder used the word “disgusting” when discussing a refereeing decision during a defeat to Dunfermline but did not face disciplinary action.
The comparison may suit McInnes and Rangers, but the circumstances are not automatically identical. A single word cannot be separated from the wider context in which it was used, and McInnes’ claim that his side were “up against everybody” went beyond a routine complaint about an official’s decision.
Grant’s name now provides Rangers with a convenient Celtic connection to frame their defence around, but the hearing should focus on McInnes’ full remarks rather than an isolated word used by another manager five years earlier.
The timing adds another layer to the situation. McInnes has only recently taken charge at Ibrox, yet one of his first major appearances as Rangers boss will come in front of the Scottish FA over comments he made while attempting to apply pressure during Celtic’s title run-in.
Whether the governing body accepts the Grant comparison remains to be seen, but McInnes’ own words will be difficult to reduce to a simple complaint about one penalty decision.
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