YOU ARE OFFSIDE McCOIST

Ibrox legend guarantees to break new hate crime laws at Old Firm clash

-  CHRIS McCALL, GRAEME YOUNG AND ANDREW QUINN

ALLY McCoist has been blasted by an SNP MP after the Rangers legend branded new hate crime legislation as “madness”.

The former striker became the latest celebrity to join a backlash against the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which came into force this week.

McCoist yesterday claimed the 48,000 Rangers fans planning to attend this weekend’s Old Firm match at Ibrox – including himself – could now find themselves breaking the law. But that argument was subsequently challenged by Nationalist MP Steven Bonnar, who branded the football pundit’s comments as “completely offside”.

McCoist told TalkSport: “We’ve got a hate bill by the way, a hate bill has been passed in the country. And I guarantee you, next Sunday at Ibrox, I along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill in the particular Rangers versus Celtic game we are all going to. It is madness.”

Referencing comments from the head of the Scottish Police Federation, the Ibrox legend said he believed the new law was unpopular with rankand-file police officers because it was impossible to enforce.

He added: “That’s exactly what the police think. The police spokesperson has come out and more or less said that.

“He obviously can’t because he’ll get himself in trouble. He has implied it, everybody with two brain cells in their head knows it’s madness, crazy.