Ally McCoist reveals he will not attend Rangers vs Celtic amid Scotland hate crime law controversy

The Former Rangers icon and pundit Ally McCoist will not attend the game after describing the law as ‘madness’ on Tuesday and claimed fellow Rangers fans would breach this law on the weekend if it was enforced. The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which was rubber-stamped on Monday, created a new crime of ‘stirring up hatred’ relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex.

McCoist told talkSport on Tuesday: “We’ve got a hate bill by the way, a hate bill has been passed in the country.

“And I can guarantee you, next Sunday at Ibrox, I along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that bill in the particular Rangers vs Celtic game we are all going to. It is madness.”

The Rangers hero’s comments may be due in part to the nature of the fixture which has become synonymous with ferocity and controversy, Celtic represent an Irish - Catholic background and Rangers adopt an English-Protestant identity.

After taking a stance on the topic, McCoist faced significant backlash from listeners and fans. This has led to Mccoist performing a u-turn stating that he will no longer attend Sunday's game. When asked by talkSport host Alan Brazil on whether he still planned to attend the game, McCoist replied, “No, I am away with the kids for a couple of days.

“People are accusing me of doing this or doing that. But there’s been a change of plans, I'm going away for a few days.”

Brazil replied “I see you have made some of the front pages” to which McCoist said: “I’m over it. I seem to have upset a few people”

The pundit’s comments on talkSport have caused controversy with SNP MP Steven Bonnar who has been among those to criticise McCoist for his views. First approved in 2021, the Bill has now come into effect and it creates a new offence of ‘stirring up hatred’ with a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.

The act states that a person can be found guilty if they communicate material or behave in a way that ‘a reasonable person would consider to be threatening or abusive’., with the intention of stirring up hatred based on the protected characteristics..

McCoist believes that the new law is unpopular with the police because it is impossible to enforce.

 “That’s exactly what the police think about it. The police spokesperson has come out and more or less said that,” he said.

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

“There is nobody in our country who thinks that is a good idea, who I have spoken to.”

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has also challenged the police to arrest her if they believe that she has committed an offence after she described several transgender women as men, suggesting that ‘freedom of speech and belief’ would end as a result of the new legislation.