Michael Beale takes the Rangers flak for Todd Cantwell's Celtic comments as he puts Kevin Clancy abuse on blast

Michael Beale fears the abuse of referees, managers and players is reaching “unhealthy” levels as he slammed the threats directed at Kevin Clancy after last week’s Old Firm fallout.

Police Scotland are probing hate filled messages sent to the whistler in the wake of Rangers’ 3-2 defeat at Parkhead. Beale condemned the threats and insists it’s time to clamp down on abuse across the game. He said: “The abuse after the game, I can’t condone that. I think it is really poor, it is not something we want in our game. In general, the abuse that the managers get and the players get at certain times, it is not healthy.”

Rangers wrote to ref’s chief Crawford Allan asking for an explanation over Clancy’s decision to disallow Alfredo Morelos’ early strike at Parkhead. Beale, who distanced himself from that letter, still believes Clancy was wrong to penalise his striker but admitted he himself was mistaken when pointing the finger at the official for not awarding his side a spot kick for handball after the break.

He said: “I heard the thing about the letter and stuff like that. It wasn’t something that I was around. I have spoken to Crawford Allan at different times about various things and the communication from Crawford back to the managers, I think, is really strong.

“We have had Zoom meetings, for example, about VAR and things like that and it is always there for you to give your opinion. I think they have been very transparent.

“ I disagreed with one decision and I got it wrong on another because the angle I saw I thought it had hit the boy’s arm. It hadn’t. But I still think the first decision was wrong. It’s up for debate. But the game’s gone. We’re not going to be able to change the result.

“The referee whoever it is in