(Credit: Imago)

Jacob Raw

Wed 29 April 2026 7:10, UK

Rangers fans will want to look away after the SFA confirmed that John Beaton will be the referee for the game against Hearts on Monday.

The Bears will travel to Tynecastle Park for an all-important Scottish Premiership game that could keep them in with a chance of winning the league, or the exact polar opposite.

Gers lost 3-2 to Motherwell last time out as Emmanuel Longelo’s late winner now has Danny Rohl‘s hopes of silverware hanging by a thread.

That being said, a win over Hearts would put Rangers one point behind the Jambos, and may help them leapfrog Celtic, depending on how the Hoops fare when they play Hibernian at Easter Road.

However, Rangers don’t have a good history with Beaton in charge of their games, and mistakes from the referee will be fresh in the memory of Rohl.

This is why John Beaton is a bad refereeing appointment for Rangers

Beaton refereed in Rangers’ 4-2 win over Dundee United at the start of April, and though the Bears emerged victors, it felt like lots of calls went against them.

There were handball moments, wrongful bookings, and it was a game that lacked any rhythm due to the constant pull back for controversial fouls.

But it wasn’t just that game this season, as Rangers’ 1-0 win over Hibernian back in late October saw Beaton fall for Kieran Bowie’s diving antics.

Bowie was actually accused of cheating and trying to get Jayden Meghoma sent off for violent conduct, and Beaton didn’t see this and book the Hibs star.

The 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough in pre-season showed Beaton at his worst, who sent former Gers boss Russell Martin off for a reaction against a handball that helped Boro score a goal.

It was a meaningless friendly, and even then, you could make a case for Middlesbrough’s second-half goal that was wrongfully ruled out as offside. Let’s hope he has a good and fair game next Monday.

Should Rangers set up to counterattack vs Hearts?

Hearts’ 2-1 win over Hibernian admittedly felt like a big one, and showed signs that Derek McInnes’ side does have what it takes to win the Scottish Premiership.

However, the Jambos were helped by the officials, who sent two Hibs players off, which resulted in the league leaders having the majority of the ball.

But Hearts like to have more possession than their opponents, especially at home, and that is usually the case for Rangers, as seen in the graphic above.

Maybe Rohl needs to have his side ready to break fast, while deploying the likes of Djeidi Gassama and Mikey Moore on either flank to turn Hearts over, but time will tell.

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