Godwin ObajeRangers Demand Clarity from SFA After £3,000 Fine Over John Brown Comments
Rangers have issued a stinging rebuke to the Scottish Football Association after being fined £3,000 for comments made by former defender John Brown during live punditry on Rangers TV — and have warned the governing body that it will now be “watched closely”.
The club confirmed it will seek direct talks with SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell and president Mike Mulraney over what it described as an inconsistent and disproportionate disciplinary process.
The charge stems from Brown’s appearance as a pundit during Rangers’ 2-2 draw against Hibernian at Easter Road on May 17. During the broadcast, Brown reacted to a controversial moment in which a goal appeared to be scored by Nicolas Raskin — only for the officials to wave play on. Hibs immediately equalised through Kieron Bowie in the ensuing phase.
Video replays suggested the ball had clearly crossed the line before Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri cleared, but neither referee Nick Walsh nor VAR intervened. Brown, visibly incensed, labelled the decision “corrupt” on-air.
“I would say it is corrupt,” he said, prompting commentator Tom Miller to caution, “Well, I’m not sure we can actually say that.” Brown responded emphatically: “Well, I am saying it.”
That exchange has led to the club being sanctioned by the SFA, with the Compliance Officer issuing a formal notice of complaint and levying the financial penalty.
Rangers, however, have reacted furiously. In a strongly-worded club statement, they argued that Brown’s remarks were “emotional and spontaneous” and did not reflect the official stance of the club — yet have nonetheless been treated as though they were a premeditated statement.
“John Brown spoke emotionally and spontaneously as someone who cares deeply about the club,” the statement read. “His words were not scripted, and they were not an official club comment. The ruling, however, sets a precedent where even spontaneous, corrected remarks made during live coverage of a clear refereeing error are enough to trigger a formal sanction. That is neither proportionate nor consistent.”
The Ibrox club claim that similar or stronger comments have been made on other clubs’ official platforms without consequence and cited multiple examples in their defence to the disciplinary panel.
“To our knowledge, none of these cases appear to have resulted in charges against the respective clubs,” Rangers added. “The lack of consistency with the Scottish FA’s policing of similar incidents leaves more questions than answers.”
Rangers now plan to meet SFA leadership and demand transparency on how compliance processes are applied.
“A rule that cannot be applied consistently across all clubs and platforms risks losing credibility as a fair and enforceable regulation,” the statement continued. “Our aim here is to understand the rationale behind the differing outcomes.”
Rangers concluded by warning that the SFA’s approach will be scrutinised going forward.
“If this is now the standard, they will be watched closely to ensure it is applied across the board, consistently, without exception and without favour.”
Godwin Obaje
