The Old Firm rivalry never sleeps, and last week delivered another ugly chapter that proves nothing ever really changes in Scottish football.
After Celtic’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Rangers in the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox — complete with post-match chaos, bottles being thrown, and heated scenes — former Rangers striker and now mainstream pundit Ally McCoist took to the airwaves (and social media clips went viral) to slam Celtic supporters.
Targeting Celtic Fans
His target? The away fans who reportedly chanted about the 1971 Ibrox disaster, the terrible tragedy where 66 Rangers supporters lost their lives in a crush on Stairway 13.
McCoist called it “disgraceful”, urged people to “show courage” in tough venues (a subtle dig at Celtic’s mentality), and framed the chants as crossing an unacceptable line. Fair play to him for speaking out against using real human tragedy as terrace ammunition — it’s grim whenever it happens, no matter which side does it.
The Hypocrisy Question
But here’s where the story gets messy… and where a lot of Celtic supporters (and neutral observers) cried hypocrisy.
Within minutes of McCoist’s comments circulating, replies and quote tweets flooded in pointing out something Rangers sections have done for years: songs and chants mocking Celtic legend Tommy Burns, who died from melanoma in 2008.
Burns — a former Celtic player, manager, and lifelong ambassador — has been the target of vile lyrics about his cancer battle, including lines that celebrate or trivialise his death.
These chants aren’t rare one-offs; they’ve been documented at multiple Old Firm games over the last 15+ years. Yet you rarely (if ever) hear McCoist calling them out with the same passion or volume he reserves for Celtic misdemeanours.
The Rangers End’s Offensive Staples
- “The Famine Song” (mocking Irish immigration and the Great Famine)
- References to the IRA
- “Fenian blood” lines
Content like this has been repeatedly flagged as offensive by Police Scotland and anti-sectarian groups. Yet, selective outrage remains the pattern.
The Double Standard
It’s the same old pattern in Scottish media and punditry:
- When it’s Celtic fans behaving badly → front-page headlines, wall-to-wall condemnation, calls for bans/investigations.
- When it’s Rangers fans → “passionate support”, “understandable in the heat of the moment”, or crickets from the big-name ex-players turned pundits.
McCoist isn’t alone — he’s just the loudest current example. The wider point is that both sets of supporters have dark stains on their record. Singing about dead fans or cancer victims isn’t banter; it’s poisonous. The Ibrox disaster deserves respect, just like Tommy Burns’ memory does.
Applying the Same Standard
If we’re serious about cleaning up the Old Firm’s toxic side, the standard has to be the same across the board. Condemn all tragedy-related or illness-mocking chants equally, or don’t bother pretending it’s about principle rather than tribal allegiance.
Celtic fans aren’t innocent angels here — if they sang about the Ibrox disaster, that’s indefensible and needs calling out. But so do the equivalent songs from the other side. Until pundits like McCoist apply the same heat to both clubs, the “disgraceful” label will always feel one-sided.
Scottish Football Deserves Better
Scottish football deserves better than this endless cycle of whataboutery. Both sets of fans need to grow up, ditch the sick chants, and let the game on the pitch do the talking.
“Respect tragedy. Respect those who have passed. And let the football do the talking.”