Pundit Michael Stewart Barred by SFA from Scottish Cup Semifinal

Michael Stewart, a prominent football pundit, has publicly criticized the Scottish Football Association for barring him from covering Celtic's Scottish Cup semifinal victory over St Mirren at Hampden Park on Sunday. The 45-year-old, who works for Premier Sports and the BBC, was denied entry to the national stadium following complaints about his commentary on match officials, a decision backed by the Scottish Senior Football Referees Association.

The incident unfolded over the Scottish Cup semifinals weekend. On Saturday, Stewart provided analysis for Premier Sports from an outside broadcast truck in Hampden's car park during Falkirk's match against Dunfermline. However, the SFA extended the restriction to the entire stadium footprint for Sunday's game, preventing him from contributing to the coverage of Celtic's 2-0 win. Officials described the car park as part of the venue's controlled area, citing ongoing concerns over Stewart's remarks.

The ban stems from Stewart's repeated critiques of refereeing standards this season, which the SFA and referees' association viewed as crossing into personal attacks that questioned officials' integrity. In a statement, the Scottish Senior...