Latest news with #HeartyHarry
Scotsman
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Ally McCoist recalls how he broke up fight between Hearts & Hibs stars
The Rangers legend has retold his Hearts and Hibs derby story. Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, 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... Rangers and Scotland hero Ally McCoist has relived how he broke up a fight between Hearts plus Hibs stars - while dressed in a mascot's uniform. The former striker has previously told the tale of when he dressed up as mascot Hearty Harry as part of a prank during an Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle 1996. He was still a Rangers player at the time and had gone for some pre-match drinks in George Street pre match, leaving him full of tequila. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad McCoist was on media duties but persuaded the Hearts employee who usually put on the costume to let him wear it, and it ended with a battle in the tunnel. Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, McCoist has detailed how it all happened in new detail. Ally McCoist on Hearts mascot experience 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. '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. 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'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ally McCoist's new book '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…' McCoist was speaking as he releases a new autobiography "Dear Scotland: On the Road with the Tartan Army". He has dedicated a chapter in his book to the late Walter Smith, his former manager at Rangers, and who he assisted with the Scotland national team. The ex forward added: '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.'
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
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 X/Twitter (Opens in new window) 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
