Ally McCoist shares new Rangers v Celtic verdict after what happened in England
Ally McCoist named the clashes between Rangers and Celtic as one he might avoid taking children to after the crowd trouble seen at The Hawthorns between West Brom and Wolves.
The Black Country derby in the FA Cup saw ugly scenes between both sets of fans spilling onto the pitch, leading to a 38-minute delay while the police sorted the issues out.
In the aftermath of the game, there was widespread condemnation of the events, and McCoist has compared it to the Old Firm derby, which he claims is handled superbly by the police.
Asked live on talkSPORT [29 January, 07:09] whether there are any games he wouldn’t take young children to, McCoist shared: “It’s a good question. Probably the one is the Rangers-Celtic game.
“It’s amazing because I’ve got to say – we have had troubles in the past. Generally speaking, and I’m not one to tempt fate, the police handle the games at Celtic Park, Hampden and Ibrox really, really well. They handle them superbly.
“There’s been a lot less trouble than they used to be and that’s because of the way things are run. The early kick-offs and all of that stuff help as well.
“Those scenes yesterday, that’s what horrifies parents in particular and the older generation, when you see young kids scared, in tears, when they’ve got their scarves on and their dad’s got them in their arms. It’s a horrendous look.”
Awful scenes at The Hawthorns
The trouble south of the border appears to have come from away fans in the home end, which is unlikely to happen at an Old Firm game, but they were the type of scenes rarely seen at football matches these days.
There could be the suggestion that perhaps these events give further ammunition to the SPFL and the two clubs who are still yet to reach an agreement on the return of away supporters to the Old Firm games.
Celtic have cited safety concerns for their non-allocation of away fans at Parkhead, and after what happened in the Black Country derby, they now have a recent example to point to in defence of their claims, while talks are ongoing about finding a solution.
McCoist’s praise for the work the police do to reduce trouble in the Old Firm clashes would provide a counter to Celtic’s point, but ultimately the two clubs and the SPFL will have to reach an agreement which still feels a way off yet.
In other Rangers news, the club are set to meet officials for transfer talks this week.
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