Rangers legend Ally McCoist once broke up a bitter tunnel fight while dressed as a club MASCOT and ‘full of tequila'
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
ALLY McCoist has told how he once broke up a half time fight between rival Hibs and Hearts stars -- while dressed as the Hearts mascot.
McCoist, 62, was still a Rangers player when he dressed up as mascot Hearty Harry as a prank during a powderkeg Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle in 1996.
Sign up for the Rangers newsletter
Sign up
4
Gers hero Ally McCoist
Credit: Getty
4
McCoist dressed as the Hearts mascot in 1996
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The Scotland legend told an audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival he was on media duties at the time but had decided to go for some pre-match drinks in the capital's George Street before the game and was 'full of tequila'.
He told how he persuaded the Hearts employee who usually donned the costume to let him wear it instead, only to end up in the middle of a fracas in the tunnel.
He said: 'He looks at me and shakes his head and I look back at him and I nod my head. Two minutes later I've got the Hearty Harry outfit on.
'It's the first time Hearty Harry had been full of tequila.
'So I've got all the gear on, I've got Hearty Harry's big massive head on, and I go down into the tunnel.
'I had to go downstairs before the half time whistle went but little did I know it had all kicked off.
'As I arrive in the tunnel the Hibs and Hearts players are all going off and I'm in between them.
'I've got big Dave McPherson in one arm and big Yogi Hughes in the other and I'm trying to split the whole thing up.
'They don't have a clue, they think this is Hearty Harry breaking this fight up.'
He added: "I go out onto the park and I'm dancing about as Hearty Harry and going up behind the goal to the Hearts supporters and I go back in just before the teams come out.
Rangers players look terrified and exposed under Russell Martin
'One of the lads at Hearts says 'you'll need to go out and take a bow'.
"So I go out with the Hearty Harry outfit on and the boy with the microphone says 'have I got news for you, today wasn't your normal Hearty Harry, no no, today Hearty Harry was none other than Scotland striker and Rangers number nine Ally McCoist'.
'So I took my Hearty Harry head off and I look and everybody has a look of total bewilderment.
'The Hearts fans are (open mouthed) and I turn to the Hibs end and they're like 'get to…'
The Rangers and Scotland legend was in Edinburgh to discuss his new autobiography, "Dear Scotland: On the Road with the Tartan Army".
Now a leading football pundit, he was recently voted the most popular TV co-commentator by a landslide.
But he told a packed audience at the 1000 capacity McEwan Hall how he's happy for the Auld Enemy England to win -- but only to a point.
He said: 'They say [they invented football] but they do get carried away.
'I'm very much right involved in it because I do a lot of my work down there and a lot of the English stuff.
'I do a lot on the radio with big Alan Brazil and we are the exact same -- It suits us for England to do well… up to a point.
"'Ah, good result for England, smashing, they'll get out of the group ok'; 'brilliant, last 16 I think they should be fine'; 'semi finals, eh that's enough, we can't have any more of that'. It's genuinely the case.
'Because the beautiful game did start north of the border, of that there is absolutely no doubt."
4
Ally McCoist and Walter Smith
Credit: Getty
4
CIS Cup success against Dundee United
Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow
McCoist has dedicated a chapter in his book to his mentor, the late Walter Smith.
He paid tribute to the man who was his manager at Rangers and gave him the honour of being his assistant as manager of the Scotland national team.
He said: 'Walter was special. I loved Walter, I really did... He was just a wonderful soft — but hard — human being.
"You'll never hear anybody say a bad word against Walter.
'There were three men in my life who had the most effect on me -- my dad and Uncle George and Walter, without doubt.
"No doubt I'm biased but I think he should be spoken of in the same breath as (Bill) Shankly and (Sir Matt) Busby and (Jock) Stein.
'I mean, he had Rangers one goal away from a Champions League final. Not a game away, just one goal. We ended up drawing in Marseille and if we'd scored another goal we were in the final against AC Milan.'
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Orlando Bloom moves into £13m bachelor pad ‘which screams I'm filthy rich & single' after Katy Perry split
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ORLANDO Bloom hasn't wasted any time moving on from Katy Perry. My insiders tell me the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor has relocated to Miami for a fresh start and is renting out a seaside pad worth £13million. 6 Orlando Bloom has moved into £13m bachelor pad 'which screams I'm filthy rich & single' Credit: AP 'Orlando's new house screams, 'I'm filthy rich and single',' my mole said. 'The house is a proper bachelor pad and perfect for parties and entertaining. 'Orlando is surrounded by other famous people, too. Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Travis Barker live just down the road, as well as Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Kevin Costner lives on the same street, too. 'It's right on the beach and Orlando has been seen there loads in the past few weeks. He seems to be settling right in and has already made friends with his direct neighbours.' READ MORE ON ORLANDO BLOOM PARENTING DEBATE Orlando Bloom blasted as an 'idiot' for 'inappropriate' snap of Daisy, 4 Orlando and Katy announced their split last month after nine years together, with insiders revealing the Roar singer told friends it was over in January. But unlike most celebrity break-ups, which nearly always end up being very messy and very public, Katy and Orlando have been working hard to buck that trend. Since their split, they've even been seen on holiday together, with those close to them telling me they were keen to keep a strong family unit for their daughter Daisy Dove. And it's not just behind the scenes that the pair are making sure their new way of life is all sweetness and light. Orlando appeared to be the first person to have a chuckle when an AI photograph of him having dinner with former German politician Angela Merkel went viral earlier this month. Someone created the snap to poke fun at the pictures of Katy and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau having a cosy dinner in Montreal last month. Heartbroken Katy Perry told pals in January that Orlando Bloom relationship was OVER - as star removes engagement ring Two days after the pictures of Katy and Justin went online — he was spotted at her concert in Montreal with his daughter. And it was later claimed the pair had been 'texting non-stop' back in July but those close to Katy have said this had cooled off now. An insider added: 'They're both busy people — who knows what could happen in the future?' 6 Orlando and Katy announced their split last month after nine years together Credit: Splash The post about Orlando and Angela was reshared endlessly, with a caption that read: 'Just weeks after announcing his split with fiancee Katy Perry, English actor Orlando Bloom was photographed Friday dining with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. 'Angela kept Orlando laughing all night — he couldn't keep his eyes off her.' Orlando posted three clapping hand emojis underneath the post, with a pal adding: 'He found it hilarious.' If these two can keep this up, they'll end up as the next Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow. JUSTIN DUPE DYLAN EXPOSED BY UNBELIEBABLE DANCING A JUSTIN BIEBER lookalike duped a Las Vegas nightspot into believing he was the real deal. The imposter, Frenchman Dylan Desclos, got up on stage at the XS Nightclub in Sin City and performed for revellers who also fell for the prankster. Dylan has now been banned from any hotel or club owned by Wynn Resorts. A company spokesman said: 'As soon as the error was recognised, he was removed from the resort and denied future entry.' After checking out Dylan's social media, it's easy to see why people thought he was the famous US singer – he looks pretty much identical. Justin's model wife Hailey has even previously said how similar they look. The only thing I clocked when I checked out the videos of that night though is that Justin can dance . . . and Dylan definitely can't. Have a look at the clips doing the rounds on social media if you fancy a laugh. KISSCAM IS STILL IN PLAY THAT brilliant Coldplay kiss-cam is the gift that keeps on giving – and Chris Martin was the first to poke fun at the scandal when the group played the first of their two sold out shows in Hull. At the sold out Craven Park stadium, Chris started to read signs – including one which read: 'Three times in three months.' 6 Chris Martin joked about the kiss-scam scandal at Coldplay's sold out show in Hull Credit: Getty 6 Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot on the kiss-cam which exposed their affair Chris said: 'You were at that Boston gig? Thank you for coming again after that debacle.' At that gig the kiss-cam footage of work colleagues Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot went viral as it exposed their affair. As the kiss-cam moved around the Hull stadium, Chris added: ' We have been doing this a long time and it is only recently that it became a… 'Life throws you lemons and you've got to make lemonade. So, we are going to keep doing it.' The band are in the third year of their Music Of Spheres world tour. To date they have sold 12 million tickets – making it the highest attended rock concert in music history. Coldplay will wrap up their epic run with a ten-night residency at London's Wembley Stadium. I first revealed Chris and co were booking in for the shows last June, with the band confirming my story just weeks later. If you've got a ticket you are in for a massive treat. I first watched this show back in 2023 and it absolutely blew me away. DOECHII has pulled out of three European festivals this week – All Points East in London and Forwards in Bristol, where she was due to sing this weekend, and tomorrow's Rock En Seine in France. It appears her PR team have tried to smooth things over, as all three festivals released near-identical statements – describing the US rapper as an 'incredible artist'. But on social media, punters who had tickets aren't feeling quite as kind as they berate her last-minute cancellation. DAD WARY OF PERRIE OX DATE PERRIE EDWARDS' family were furious when she started dating ex-England midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, because they were convinced all footballers were love rats. The LITTLE MIX star, who had split from Zayn Malik 18 months before they got together in 2017, recalled: 'My dad rang me and he went, 'You've just dated a boyband member who's completely shattered your soul and now you're going for a footballer.' 'And I was like, 'He's not like the other footballers, dad. He's really nice'. 'And he was like, 'Oh, yeah, great. I bet he is'.' On the We Need To Talk podcast she added: 'We just had this impression of footballers as cheaters. But then I met him and I was like, but he's so sweet and so genuine.' Mum's the word, Dua 6 Dua Lipa stuns on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Credit: Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar/Anthony Seklaoui 6 Dua Lipa opened up about having kids with fiance Callum Credit: Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar/Anthony Seklaoui DUA Lipa has landed the cover of Harper's Bazaar UK's Icons issue, and is celebrated in the issue alongside celebs including Kate Moss. On sale from September 4, Dua chatted about having kids with fiance Callum Turner. She said: 'I'd love to have kids one day. But it's like the question of when would there ever be a good time and how much I'd have to take. 'I love kids, but there's so much more to raising a child than just loving children.' Dua is 30 on Friday but after her wild two weeks in Ibiza, she may just need a lie down. MICHELLE BECOMES MUM TO 4 BROKEBACK Mountain actress Michelle Williams has become a mum for a fourth time after having a baby via surrogate. The Hollywood star already has a teenage daughter, Matilda, from her relationship with the late Heath Ledger but now has three youngsters too. Michelle, who is married to Thomas Kail, was on US television when she revealed the news and praised her surrogate, a woman named Christine. She said: 'I've got to give a big shout out to Christine, 'cause this last baby did not come through my body. 'But the miracle of our little girl is thanks to Christine. Maybe you're watching out there; thank you, Christine. 'Thanks to Christine, I have three under five at home.' FLORENCE + THE MACHINE announced their sixth album, Everybody Scream, which will be released on Halloween. And Norwegian pop powerhouse Sigrid has said that her third album, There's Always More That I Could Say, will be out a week earlier, on October 24. It will feature her new single Fort Knox, which debuted on Radio 1 last night.
Edinburgh Reporter
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
How Slingo Slots Have Revolutionised Online Gaming
The iGaming industry is under constant evolution, with new developers entering the industry, bringing nuanced mechanics to stand out. We rarely see a newcomer enter the industry with a revolutionary game mechanic. In the past, we have seen the introduction of Megaways slots, Progressive jackpot slots, and a few other unique mechanic slot introductions. Recently, Gaming Realms has launched the innovative 'Slingo' mechanic to our screens, combining the popular pastime, Bingo, with online slots for a fun, unique mix. Gamers can play these slingo games online, with many online casino platforms beginning to incorporate slingo slots into their catalogue. Photo by Nik on Unsplash Gaming Realms And Their Background Gaming Realms is the dominant provider of Slingo titles, having purchased rights to this game format from RealNetworks in 2015. Slingo releases were first introduced into land-based casinos in the USA in the 90's; however, Gaming Realms was the first provider to bring this game genre to online casinos. Gaming Realms is an English-based slot developer that was founded in 2013. Since their inception, they have released more than 100 total slot games. To differentiate their games from other developers, they have incorporated new and unique slingo mechanics in the majority of their releases, creating an alternate gaming experience in comparison to traditional slots. In addition to this, Gaming Realms utilises fun themes and unique bonus features to create a unique gaming experience unlike anything we have seen before. What Are Slingo Slots? As briefly mentioned, the development of slingo slots incorporates a fun mix of bingo with traditional slots. Common Slingo slots operate on a 5×5 playgrid, where players can trigger 'Slingos' by matching 5 numbers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. There will be an additional row below the 5×5 playgrid that will contain 5 random numbers in each spin. If the numbers in this row match a number on the grid above, the number will be marked off on the grid. Triggering 'Slingos' is the method for triggering prizes in these titles, with the more 'Slingos' achieved, the greater the prize. In addition to triggering prizes, most Slingo titles have incorporated various bonus mechanics to enhance the overall gameplay. How To Play Slingo Slots To play Slingo slots, players can spin the reels, usually by pressing a desired spin button. After pressing the spin button, the extra reel below the grid will spin, revealing numbers. These numbers will be marked off the grid in a bingo-like fashion if they are matched. In addition to landing numbers on the additional reel below the grid, common Slingo slots also incorporate a range of bonus symbols that can be landed here to enhance the overall gameplay. In common Slingo slots, players will be granted multiple spins, usually 10, to land as many Slingos as possible. When these spins are over, some titles give gamers the option to collect their reward, if earned, or to purchase an additional spin for an extra stake. The stake will vary depending on the already matched Slingos and the potential to land further Slingos. To land Slingos, players will need to land 5 matching numbers either diagonally, vertically or horizontally. Each time a Slingo is achieved, a point will be added to the prize ladder that is in view. Often, Slingo games incorporate a range of cash prizes or access to a bonus feature on the prize ladder. Popular Slingo Slots Slingo Journey to Asgard Slingo Journey to Asgard is a popular Slingo title, released by Gaming Realms in 2024. The title includes a range of interesting features, including an Ancient Greek theme throughout the play. The gameplay of the slot will commence on a 5×5 playgrid, with an extra set of reels below to reveal numbers on. The maximum amount of Slingos a player can achieve in play is 12. To enhance the gameplay in this slot, Gaming Realms has incorporated a range of interesting bonus features, including the max prize Crystal Quest feature. Players can trigger bonus features by achieving at least 5 Slingos, with each Slingo following granting access to a unique bonus feature. Slingoooal Championship! Slingoooal Championship! is another slingo title developed by Gaming Realms. This title was released in 2024, drawing inspiration from the upcoming UEFA European Championships at the time. This meant that the title features a unique football theme throughout play, included in the visuals and the bonus features of the title. The gameplay in the Slingoooal Championship! slot keeps things simple, sticking with the straightforward 5×5 playgrid with the additional set of reels beneath. Gaming Realms has kept the gameplay simple in this slot, including its additional features. The title does incorporate some bonus elements; however, they are not as complex as other releases from the developer, with the only features being the Wild, Super Wild, and Free Spin symbols resembling the sport. The prize ladder in this title is unique, with more cash prizes on the ladder instead of bonus features. Like this: Like Related
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe comedy reviews Rachel Galvo The Sh*te Feminist Jordan Gray Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Rachel Galvo: The Shite Feminist ★★★★ Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) until 24 August With her blossoming stand-up career borne out of an academic thesis on Women and Feminism in Comedy, Rachel Galvo's bold, bravura show retains some reference to Plato and Aristotle's (sexist) theories on humour and plenty of incisive and thoughtful social comment. But it's packaged in a savagely funny account of adolescent yearning for fingering, the Catholic Church's sexual repression, lingering body issues, Mean Girls-style bullying, ideological awakening and an instinctive performer belatedly finding their metier. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rachel Galvo: The Shite Feminist | PIC: Evan Doherty Though always a theatre kid, with her extracts from Les Misérables greeted with mixed reviews over the course of their exceptionally long playground run, Dubliner Galvo arrived at drama school in London with dreams of becoming an actor. But she found that her convent upbringing was a source of fascination and laughter to her English classmates. So she's become a comedian and an increasingly redoubtable one too. As shared with her thick friend - with everyone English and male portrayed as thick in this hour, the generalisations justifiable on the basis of past wrongs and the sheer, barrelling energy of Galvo to impart her story without taking prisoners - she relates in vivid detail the warped teachings of the Church that have shaped her, the hypocrisy and guilt, the eroticism of Jesus. The theatricality! Puberty was another formative influence, inhibiting her, forcing her to acquiesce to the demands of popularity and patriarchal expectations of how girls ought to be, flattering boys with hollow giggles rather than sharing repartee and tales of misadventure about tampons. Galvo is unabashed about the privilege she enjoyed growing up. But in terms of her appreciation of feminism and the sexist double standards she witnessed, she was impoverished. With her political awakening inextricably bound up with her emergence as a stand-up, The Shite Feminist is delivered with bristling anger, caustic, clinical wit and a commanding flair. Jay Richardson Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jordan Gray: Is That a C*ck in Your Pocket or Are You Just Here To Kill Me ★★★★ Assembly George Square (Venue 3) until 24 August Make no mistake about it: Jordan Gray is a pure showbiz creature. She sings, she plays piano and guitar, she writes funny songs and she dances and prances around the stage, swinging her luscious long black hair behind her. In 2022 Jordan burst onto the Fringe with debut show Is It a Bird. Since then she's been on TV chat shows, written and starred in a TV sitcom and toured the world. She also, in that same year, appeared on Channel Four, and rounded off a performance of her song I'm Better Than You by stripping completely naked, revealing both tits and a penis. Cue death threats which, not surprisingly, left her feeling pretty vulnerable. Jordan's response has been to come back fighting. She'll die a thousand deaths on stage before she gives up her showbiz dreams. It's all she's ever wanted. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There's no doubt she's suffered a lot, and been scared, and doubted herself, and the vulnerability of the artist is fully and touchingly exposed here. What disappointed me was the lack of subtlety with which she responds to her critics. It's pretty easy in today's climate to induce an audience to jeer at people they disapprove of, but it's not particularly satisfying or clever. There's something here that is coming too much from a place of fear, however much she struts and swaggers and chucks tampons into the crowd. But there's no denying the energy that's coming from the stage. Jordan Gray is an emerging talent who is firing on all cylinders. You feel almost overpowered by the wave of naked ambition on show. Second Fringe shows can be like the Difficult Second Album. But there's no doubt Jordan Gray has arrived, and there is a lot more to come. Claire Smith Daniel McKeon: Boyboss ★★★ Just the Tonic at the Caves (Venue 88) until 24 August Lightly bolting the Fringe's appetite for spoof self-help gurus to an amusing introductory hour of stand-up, Daniel McKeon's Fringe debut is a gently odd but enjoyable series of hodge-podge observations and anecdotes, afforded a bit of emotional heft by his myriad insecurities and the emerging importance of his relationship. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Despite being a somewhat nebulous label culled from the Urban Dictionary online, McKeon presents a flipchart presentation of what makes him a 'boyboss', existing in a state of arrested development despite all privilege and opportunity afforded him. With an inclination towards ADHD, affable exchanges with the crowd and a propensity to perch cross-legged atop his stool, there's certainly a Peter Pan quality to the comic. Given the connections he establishes in a neatly observed routine about the knee-jerk modesty and obliviousness of the posh, and the low level position on a film he talked himself out of, you'd imagine him the black sheep or drifter of his family, were his father not every bit as feckless. And when McKeon tells you that he began a long-distance courtship with a bisexual American over Tumblr, well, you're not primed for a happy ending. Nevertheless, the honesty and vulnerability he shares, tied to waggish material on the obliteration of Pompeii for example, is appealing. Jay Richardson Anna Hale: Control Freak ★★★ Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 24 August Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Anna Hale is, by her own admission, 'insufferable'. The accomplished and otherwise likeable musical comic acknowledges the diva-ish aspect of her control freakery in her opening number, wondering if she might be more than a spotlight-demanding, rampant narcissist who has to write, produce, perform, market and do everything else for her debut Fringe hour. And, it soon emerges, she is. Hale reveals the crippling anxiety that has led her to strategise and pre-plan every single social interaction, plus the impact that's had upon her confidence and relationships. Going to great lengths to avoid judgement is clearly professionally problematic. Yet Hale charts an assured path relating her journey through therapy to recovery, ressurecting her inner show-off with a diagnosis that makes her feel special. On keyboard and guitar, with little nods to the likes of Wicked, Tim Minchin and Elton John, her impressive musicianship is higher in the mix than her jokes. But she's adept at conveying the physical and mental oppressiveness, the pain, suffering and high stakes, without ever letting it depress Control Freak, an upbeat, tuneful performance, defined by Hale's resilience and refusal to be beaten. Jay Richardson Simple Town ★★★ Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 24 August Instinctively surreal New York sketch quartet Simple Town have a cool vibe, allowing scenarios to unfold at a relaxed pace until they escalate on unforeseeable tangents. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Seguing from skit to skit with an offhand casualness, Caroline Yost, Will Niedmann, Felipe Di Poi Tamargo and Sam Lanier's writing has the flavour of late-night 'what if?' conversations taken to the nth degree. With Yost the only 'girl' in the group, their opener is perhaps the most grounded, with the arrival of a female scientist into NASA's space race blowing minds with her capacity to do basic maths. Funny stuff, a dumb satire on satire. But more compelling is the dissident facing firing squad in some vaguely fascist state, his gnomic but logically incoherent agitprop offered with the smug certainty of a martyr, messing with his scrambling to understand captors' minds. Like many of Simple Towns' bits, the laughs come less from delineated setups and punchlines, more the emergence of a weird mood, the joy of confused crosstalk, or something as random as a runaway Wes Anderson critique. A taxi ride hijacks the entire audience into cheery pride in perversion. Simple Town's sandbox playfulness is infectiously appealing, even if they overrun wildly. With a little tightening up perhaps, challenging their approach somewhat, they'll likely be ones to catch again at a future Fringe. Jay Richardson
