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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Graeme Young

Graeme Murty rues Andy Halliday Rangers sub as he fears infamous Hampden call sparked undeserved stigma

Former Rangers manager Graeme Murty has revealed he wishes he didn't wield the axe on Andy Halliday during the first half of an infamous trouncing against Celtic.

The Ibrox diehard was left fizzing after he was removed before the interval while trailing Celtic 2-0 in a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden in 2018.

Boyhood fan Halliday required Bruno Alves to calm him as he launched a verbal volley to the coaching staff.

Brendan Rodgers' side would go on and secure a comprehensive 4-0 win but the decision to bin the midfielder before the break was met with derision among many Rangers followers.

And Murty admits he would do things differently now.

Speaking to BBC Sportsound, he said: "I spoke to Andy afterwards and I was questioned by a journalist quite closely about why I hadn't spoken to Andy yet, it was two days after the event

"You have to actually judge your time properly so I've spoken to Andy since I've seen him fairly recently.

"Of all the things that I've had to look back on there's two that I would change.

"I wouldn't have taken him off because he didn't deserve it but I felt at that time I had to do something to try and make a change to help the team.

"I still believe a manager has to have the right to do that and they need to be able to do that if they think it's right.

"It's not a personal decision, it's a professional decision to try and help the team.

"But that got him a level of stick and a level of stigma that as a person and player he didn't deserve.

"Looking back on it that's on me and I wish I hadn't done it."

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