Rangers legend Ally McCoist has condemned the “absolute embarrassment” that unfolded at Ibrox after Sunday’s explosive Old Firm clash, branding the actions of a section of Celtic fans as “a sickness of the mind”.
The 63-year-old pundit, who was at the game with his children, revealed shocking new details including an 18-year-old girl being struck by a bottle and graffiti in the Broomloan Stand mocking the 66 fans who lost their lives in the 1971 Ibrox disaster.
This was not football. This was pure hate spilling onto sacred ground.
What Sparked the Post-Match Meltdown
The powderkeg finally exploded after Celtic edged a dramatic penalty shootout victory at Ibrox.
Thousands of away fans spilled from the Broomloan Stand onto the pitch in celebration. What started as jubilation quickly turned ugly as some supporters clashed with stewards, police, and opposing fans.
McCoist watched in horror as the invasion unfolded right in front of him.
“I saw the mob coming in from the Broomloan Stand,” he told talkSPORT. “I’m sitting there saying to myself, ‘just please stay off the pitch, man’. But you know it’s going to happen. It is an absolute embarrassment. It was cringe.”
Within minutes, running battles broke out around the stadium perimeter. Police horses charged to restore order while objects rained down from the stands.
The Sickening Graffiti That Crossed Every Line
But it was what happened in the away section that left McCoist truly disgusted.
Images emerged of Celtic supporters daubing vile messages on seats and walls mocking the Ibrox disaster, the darkest day in the club’s history when 66 Rangers fans perished on Stairway 13 on January 2, 1971.
McCoist didn’t hold back. He called it “a sickness of the mind”.
“People mocking 66 deaths? That’s not banter. That’s not rivalry,” he raged. “That’s pure evil. Anyone who does that has something seriously wrong with them.”
The 1971 tragedy remains raw for Rangers supporters more than five decades later. Any reference to it in a celebratory or mocking context is considered the ultimate low in Scottish football.
Innocent Young Girl Caught in the Crossfire
The most heartbreaking revelation came when McCoist spoke to witnesses after the game.
He told how a teenage girl, just 18 or 19 years old, was struck in the face by a bottle during the chaos.
“We met one of the young lads who was up in the west enclosure,” McCoist said. “He told us there was a young girl there who got hit with a bottle. An innocent kid at the football, enjoying the day, and she gets smashed in the face. It’s diabolical.”
The incident highlights the terrifying reality that ordinary fans, including women and children, are being put in danger by the actions of a mindless minority.
This Could Kill Away Fans at the Old Firm For Good
McCoist issued a stark warning that behaviour like this will force authorities to act decisively.
He believes scenes of this nature make it almost inevitable that away supporters will be banned from Old Firm fixtures completely, something that nearly happened last season amid the ticket allocation row.
“It’s going to happen,” he said. “They’ll shut the gates on away fans, and nobody can complain. Because when you behave like that, you don’t deserve to travel.”
The former Scotland striker insisted both sets of fans must take responsibility, but made it clear Sunday’s events were particularly shameful.
“I’ve been to hundreds of these games,” McCoist reflected. “The atmosphere before kick-off was electric. Proper Old Firm. Then this happens and it just leaves you feeling sick.”
The Rangers icon’s words carry huge weight in Scottish football. When Super Ally speaks with this level of anger and disappointment, people listen.
This wasn’t just another bit of Old Firm trouble. This felt different. This felt like a line had been permanently crossed.
The beautiful game that McCoist dedicated his life to was dragged through the mud once again by those who claim to love it most.
Football without fans is nothing. But fans who behave like this? Scottish football would be better off without them.
What happened at Ibrox on Sunday was not passion. It was poison.
And until both clubs and both sets of supporters confront that truth head-on, these darkest days will keep coming back.
Leave your thoughts below. Do you agree with Ally McCoist that away fans should now be banned from Old Firm games? Or is there still hope this rivalry can be saved?
