Rangers manager Ally McCoist welcomes BBC apology on news programme
Rangers FC manager Ally McCoist last night welcomed an apology from the BBC after being "appalled" by the editing of his pre-match media conference during last Friday's national evening news programme.
McCoist has refused to speak to the Corporation after watching a report that showed him smirking while a news reporter questioned him about behaviour during last season’s Old Firm games.
McCoist claimed that the footage had been edited and refused interviews with the BBC until an apology was issued.
A statement issued yesterday by the Ibrox club said: "Rangers manager Ally McCoist has today received an apology from the BBC following what the club feels was totally unacceptable reporting on BBC national news, the BBC website and Radio Five Live last Friday.
"A written apology has been sent to the manager. It will be posted on the BBC News website and an on-air apology will be read out on BBC Sportsound at 7pm this evening."
McCoist, whose various past media commitments include a long spell as a captain on the BBC's A Question of Sport, said: "I was appalled by the BBC's coverage last Friday and the club will not tolerate this type of reporting. I was adamant I would not speak to the BBC until the matter was resolved to my satisfaction so I'm pleased an apology has been issued today.
"I have always been generous with my time as the media play an important role in modern football but I will not tolerate being portrayed in the manner I was last week. Having worked in television for many years, with the BBC, I know exactly what was done last Friday and I was disgusted with their editing of the pre-Hearts press conference."
The BBC accepted the editing of the piece was inappropriate. A statement from the BBC read: "Overall we stand by the merits of our report revealing the extent of violence after Old Firm derbies and the cost of policing these matches.
“However, we do accept that the sequence involving comments from Rangers' manager Alistair McCoist could have given the impression that he did not take the issue seriously.
“We accept that offence has been caused by an inappropriate edit in the piece as transmitted and for that we apologise."