GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 19: SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell (L) and SFA president Mike Mulraney during a Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup Semi-Final match between Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen at Hampden Park, on April 19, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The SFA have banned Michael Stewart from the Hampden Car Park!
On Friday it was revealed that the former Scotland and Manchester United midfielder had been banned from attending Hampden as a pundit.
Premier Sports and BBC Scotland were informed of the decision.
Premier Sports are the main broadcaster of the Scottish Cup and have exclusive rights to the Premier Sports Cup, generally known as the League Cup.
It seems that criticism of refereeing has struck a nerve inside the Scottish football bubble.
Willie Collum and his snowflake commanders have got upset with Collum running sobbing to Ian Maxwell about the criticism.
Rather than deal with it in a mature manner the CEO of the SFA has escalated the issue by banning Stewart from Hampden Park.
STEWART- FROM THE COMMENTARY BOX TO THE CAR PARK!
Premier Sports reacted in knockabout fashion by having Stewart give his analysis of the Falkirk v Dunfermline match from a van in the Hampden Car Park.
Rather than let that stunt pass Maxwell has decided to step up the Maxwell ban.
The SFA have now banned Michael Stewart from the car park at Hampden, after Premier Sports sneaked him in to their production truck today.
Premier Sports:
“Following today’s Scottish Cup semi-final, where Michael Stewart was unable to broadcast from inside Hampden and instead… pic.twitter.com/SCQur1wraa— Scotland’s Coefficient (@scotlandscoeff1) April 18, 2026
Following Dunfermline’s win at Hampden The Sun reports Premier Sports stating:
Following today’s Scottish Cup semi-final, where Michael Stewart was unable to broadcast from inside Hampden and instead contributed from our production truck, we have now been informed by the SFA that he is also banned from the stadium car park.
This further escalation is deeply disappointing and has left Premier Sports, the SFA’s broadcast partner, scrambling to find solutions for our exclusive coverage of Celtic v St Mirren tomorrow.
We also wish to reiterate our full support for Michael Stewart as a valued member of our team, and we will continue to seek alternative ways to ensure he can remain involved in our coverage of matches from Hampden.
Premier Sports can now really turn the screw on Maxwell. They have exclusive TV coverage of today’s Celtic v St Mirren match.
Will the SFA search vehicles entering the Hampden Car Park?
What if Stewart walks into the Car Park in disguise then goes into a Premier Sports van?
Will the Premier Sports presenters all wear Michael Stewart t-shirts?
Premier Sports can stick this out, they have less to lose than the SFA.
CLUELESS MAXWELL SUMS UP THE SFA
Maxwell knows that sponsors and broadcasters aren’t queueing up to be associated with a sport where Willie Collum and his colleagues come up with baffling decisions on a weekly basis.
Where ‘interpretation’ is the go-to phrase when match officials and VAR officials decided against applying the Laws of the Game.
Matthew MacDermit will referee the St Mirren v Celtic match.
The Lanarkshire based official is an accident waiting to happen, he has a lengthy charge sheet from this season alone.
By their drastic actions against Stewart the SFA are drawing attention to their sub-standard referees. A week after FIFA appointed 170 non Scots to cover 104 matches at the World Cup Finals.
Yesterday the SFA were happy to allow Steven Thompson, Leanne Crichton, Scott Brown, James McFadden, Alan Hutton and Scott Arfield to share their views on the Dunfermline v Falkirk match.
In July Premier Sports have exclusive coverage of the Premier Sports Cup.
Although it is an SPFL competition it ultimately is run by the SFA.
If Premier Sports pulled the plug on that due to breach of contract Maxwell might find some very angry clubs demanding answers.
Maxi, a former Ross County, Queens Park, St Johnstone and Partick Thistle plodder is preparing for a month long jolly at the World Cup Finals.
Hat’s off to Premier Sports in supporting Michael Stewart , a man of profound integrity , he will be missed by many who value his honest intelligent and professional commentary , i only hope he takes it all the way with the sfa to an inquiry into preventing him from earning a living because of his honesty , which should be rewarded instead the man is penalised .
Premier sports won’t do anything. They will simply just replace Micheal Stewart. End of. I wish they would go all out to embarrass the SFA but they won’t.
Manchester United midfielder…
Stretching it a bit..
Would love it if this costs that leech Maxwell his cushy position at the bumbling keystone cops SFA .
I’ve met Maxwell. He’s a craft handshaking more physically imposing Mute Mike Nicolson. Other than those 2 things he’s as wet as Nicolson and the same sly sleekit personality.
Premier sports should get one of the residents across the wall from hampden to accommodate Michael Stewart and set him up in their living room!!
Refuse to broadcast the game.
2026 and a pundit being banned for giving honest unbiased opinion on all things in Scottish football.
A man of integrity no matter what some say, whilst pundits the likes of Boyd can behave in any way they see fit without repurcussion.
Stewart is banned for ine reason, and one reason only, they don’t want him hearing VAR conversations simply because he is a man of integrity and wants whats best for the game here.
The Lanarkshire refs don’t want Mikey telling stories about how decisions were reached in the closest run in we can all remember, especially when one club needs the results for auto CL qualification…that’s the real story here….