Chris Sutton blasts Ally McCoist over 'reckless' hate crime law comments as Celtic hero puts boot in

Chris Sutton has branded Rangers legend Ally McCoist “reckless and irresponsible” over his claim that the new hate crime legislation is “madness" and that he “along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill” at Sunday’s powderkeg Old Firm clash.

The former Ibrox striker was on the receiving end of a backlash following his comments on talkSPORT radio earlier this week and now Record Sport columnist and Parkhead strike hero Sutton has criticised his former BT Sport colleague.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act came into force this week and created a new crime of ‘stirring up hatred’ relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. SNP MP Steven Bonnar branded McCoist’s comments as "completely offside” in an interview with the Daily Record earlier this week and now Sutton has put the boot in on the Daily Mail’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast. McCoist has since said a change of plans means he will no longer attend the fixture against Celtic on Sunday but Sutton said: “He left himself wide open, you know, saying that he along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of the bill in that fixture.

“Look, I know Ally well, I've worked with Ally a lot. I suspect that his comments may have well been tongue in cheek. But if they weren't, then got to say they were pretty reckless, irresponsible comments. Daft, I think his choice of words were clumsy. I know he's not going to the game.

"He's come out now and said that he's not going to the game which may have not sort of got him out of it, but his way of getting out of the words which he used. He will have to address this one, I thought is comments were slightly odd in truth.”