‘Nothing short of scandalous’ – Ally McCoist questions laws of the game after Robin Propper red

Ally McCoist, Alex Rae and Alan Hutton debated Robin Propper's sending off, as 10-man Rangers secured a battling goalless draw with Athletic Club at Ibrox in the UEFA Europa League. Rae and Hutton could understand the reasons behind Propper being shown his marching orders, but McCoist was in disbelief regarding the decision and believes it ruined the game as a spectacle.

'Nothing short of scandalous' - McCoist says laws of the game are wrong after Propper red

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ally McCoist was left seething after Robin Propper was shown a straight red card in Rangers’ eventful goalless draw with Athletic Club in the UEFA Europa League.

After a lengthy VAR check, Propper was judged to have been the last man and saw his yellow card upgraded to a red for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity by bringing down Inaki Williams.

McCoist felt the call was very harsh at the time when on co-commentary duty, and got involved in a heated debate with Alan Hutton and Alex Rae after the match on the Ibrox pitch.

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He told TNT Sports: "The sending off is nothing short of scandalous. I genuinely think that.

"Don't try and tell me the laws of the game. Anybody who's played the game at any level knows that is not a red card. It's a disgraceful decision and it spoils the game."

Hutton interjected and replied: "People are talking about it because he goes through on goal, and he's going to get an effort on goal. Is that what you mean?"

Rae then said: "Ally, I've got to be honest with you, he's getting a shot away there."

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Video credit: TNT Sports

However, this caused McCoist to become more entrenched in his views as the to-and-fro continued with Hutton.

McCoist continued: "I know he is, but it's not a sending off!

"If that's the laws of the game, the laws of the game are wrong, because we've all played the game. It's a tackle. It's a mistimed tackle, it's a free-kick. You can't be sending people off for that."

Hutton then replied: "What we read into that was if he doesn't go down and gets a touch on the ball, Inaki Williams, he's going to get a shot on target. Therefore, [it's a] last-man tackle."

McCoist would have the final say as he dismissed the prevention of a goalscoring opportunity argument.

"I know the laws of the game, I'm arguing that the laws of the game are wrong. I'll tell you something else, it comes after a mistake, they are not concentrating in the first place.

"Guys, you can't be sending people off, that's a mistimed tackle, there's no intention of preventing him getting a goalscoring opportunity, it's just a bad tackle."