Warburton offered one-match ban for ‘abusing officials’

Rangers manager Mark Warburton faces a one-match touchline ban after confronting referee John Beaton following Aberdeen’s last-gasp victory at Pittodrie.

Warburton has been offered the suspension after being issued with a notice of complaint by the SFA.

The misconduct charge alleges that he “entered the field of play and repeatedly used offensive, abusing and insulting language towards match officials”.

Warburton has been given until Monday to respond with a hearing date pencilled in for 13 October, the day before his side face Inverness in the Highlands. The Rangers manager could sit in the stand against Partick Thistle at Ibrox this Saturday if he

0 Mark Warburton: Criticism. accepts the ban before then. The Englishman approached Beaton and remonstrated over the injury-time free-kick award which led to James Maddison’s winner. Beaton penalised James Tavernier for a challenge on Jonny Hayes but television replays showed the Rangers rightback got the ball.

Warburton said after the match: “I thought the referee handled a difficult game very well. He did a really good job up to that point, but to give that one there is frustrating beyond belief.

“I will be careful what I say about the free-kick. Everyone saw the ball move. The fourth official on the sidelines saw the ball move and made a comment. And yet a freekick is given. You have got to be, I think, 100 per cent sure in these type of games, in those areas of the park.”