Kris Boyd FURIOUSLY ATTACKS SFA Over SHOCK Decision to Ban New Rangers Boss Derek McInnes Before His Ibrox Era Has Even Begun
Rangers legend Kris Boyd has FURIOUSLY ATTACKED the Scottish Football Association after new Ibrox boss Derek McInnes was hit with a SHOCK four-match touchline ban for comments made LONG before his Rangers reign even started.
The SFA’s disciplinary panel dropped the bombshell on Wednesday, punishing McInnes for labelling a Celtic penalty decision “disgusting” during his previous spell in charge of Hearts. The ban three matches suspended and ONE immediate means the new Gers manager will be confined to the stands for the Premiership opener against Dundee United and the subsequent clashes with Hibs and St Mirren.
And Boyd, the outspoken former Rangers striker, launched a SCATHING attack on the governing body, accusing them of a “witch hunt” against his beloved club.
BOYD’S BLAST
Speaking exclusively an incandescent Boyd tore into the SFA, branding the ruling an “absolute disgrace” and a deliberate attempt to sabotage McInnes before he’s even had a chance to start.
“THIS IS RIDICULOUS!” Boyd erupted. “Derek McInnes hasn’t even had his first competitive match in the Rangers dugout yet, and the SFA are already suspending him for something he said in a DIFFERENT shirt, at a DIFFERENT club, MONTHS ago!
“It feels like a targeted attack. We’ve waited YEARS for this appointment, and the excitement around Ibrox was building again. Now, instead of talking about tactics or new signings, we are talking about the SFA dishing out bans for comments they didn’t even deem worthy of a charge until he signed for Rangers.”
BOYD’S FURIOUS ATTACK ON SFA
The former Gers striker did not hold back in his condemnation of the governing body’s timing and motives.
“This is a DISGRACE from the SFA pure and simple,” Boyd raged. “They had MONTHS to deal with this if they had an issue. But they waited until Derek signed for Rangers to drop the hammer. You tell me that’s a coincidence I’m not buying it.
“The SFA are supposed to be impartial, but decisions like this make you question everything. It stinks of bias, and I will say it loud and clear if this was a Celtic manager, we wouldn’t be seeing this sort of rush to discipline.”
WHAT WAS THE COMMENT?
The controversy stems from a post-match interview McInnes gave while managing Hearts earlier this season, following a narrow defeat to Celtic. The former Aberdeen boss slammed a penalty awarded against his side, calling it “disgusting” and questioning the referee’s integrity.
Remarkably, McInnes was NEVER formally charged at the time. But the SFA invoked a rarely-used protocol to revisit the comments retrospectively with the timing of the punishment raising eyebrows across Scottish football.
Rangers chiefs have been left STAGGERED by the decision and are understood to be preparing an emergency appeal, arguing the SFA has set a “dangerous precedent” by punishing a manager for remarks made at a previous club.
A club source told reporters: “We are staggered by the timing and the severity. Derek is a man of integrity who has served Scottish football for decades. To punish him now, for a comment that didn’t even result in a charge at the time, feels deeply prejudicial.”
BOYD’S WARNING
Boyd, a long-time critic of SFA governance, warned that the decision would galvanize the Rangers dressing room but said it was a “disastrous” way to begin a title challenge.
“Derek needs to hit the ground running, but how can he when he’s watching from the stands?” Boyd raged. “The SFA have handed Celtic an early advantage before the first ball has even been kicked.
“If this is how they are going to treat Rangers managers, then we are in for a long season. The SFA have opened a can of worms here, and I can guarantee you, if this was a Celtic manager, we wouldn’t be seeing this sort of rush to discipline.”
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Rangers are expected to confirm their appeal within 48 hours. However, with the Premiership kick-off just days away, McInnes faces the real prospect of starting his Ibrox career watching from the stands a nightmare scenario for a fanbase desperate to reclaim the title from Celtic.
One thing is certain: Kris Boyd has fired a devastating broadside at the SFA and he is NOT staying silent.
