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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
David Irvine

Chris Sutton stuns Ally McCoist with Rangers vs Celtic 'doesn't matter' claim

Chris Sutton left Ally McCoist stunned as he claimed the final match between Celtic and Rangers this season "doesn't matter".

The Glasgow rivals meet for the final time this season at Ibrox on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Celtic sealed the league title with victory at Tynecastle last week ahead of the derby fixture on Saturday.

And Sutton reckons there is little point playing the match as he branded the fixture a "dead rubber".

On BT Sports's Scottish Football Extra, he said: "Well look, as far as I'm concerned with the game it doesn't matter, does it really? 

"It is a bit of pride or whatever if Rangers win, we'll probably see their players tweeting out..."

But the statement prompted a shocked reaction from McCoist who was left bemused by the sentiment that the match wasn't worth playing.

"Hold on, wait a minute," began McCoist. "Did I just hear Mr Sutton say that an Old Firm game doesn't matter? Can I hear that? Give me that one more time."

Sutton was unmoved on his position as he doubled down and stated Celtic have 'spanked Rangers' backsides all season'.

"It doesn't matter," said Sutton. "Look at you getting excited about a dead rubber because your team hasn't won a game all season. How are you going to get excited when...Celtic may be motivated, they may not be.

"From Rangers' point of view it has been an embarrassing season. There has been a lot of talk and if Rangers win we will probably hear a lot of talk; 'Glasgow is blue' but the truth is Celtic have spanked their backsides all season."

Unimpressed, McCoist replied: "There speaketh a big English centre forward. An Old Firm game that doesn't matter? You have lost your marbles."

But Sutton insisted: "It's not important. In the grand scheme of things it's not important."

McCoist then jokingly suggested the game be scrapped after Sutton's bold claim.

He said: "We are as well cancelling the game. We are as well not playing it, Chris. Why don't we just cancel the game and we'll go to the end of the season? That's what we'll do."

Sutton concluded: "Do you know what? We may as well do."

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