Ally McCoist demands help for Rangers as Ibrox legend lashes out at Scottish football 'shambles'

Ally McCoist has lashed out at Scottish football bosses for failing to help Rangers after the Dutch FA moved a fixture to assist PSV Eindhoven in their preparation for next week's Champions League play-off.

Rangers host St Johnstone on Saturday just three days before welcoming Ruud van Nistelrooy's side to Ibrox for the first leg of their crucial European tie on Tuesday evening.

Giovanni van Bronckhort's men then face a tough trip to Easter Road to face Hibs on Saturday, August 20, before travelling to the Netherlands for their second leg clash four days later.

PSV, in contrast, will enjoy a full week off in between the two play-off fixtures, the winner of which will progress to the lucrative Champions League group stages, after their Eredivisie fixture with Volendam on August 20 was rescheduled to August 31.

McCoist harked back to a major row between the SPFL and Rangers in 2008 when he was assistant boss to Walter Smith as he recalled being forced to play five games in 11 days as a result of reaching the UEFA Cup final against Zenit.

He branded the situation a "shambles" as he called on the authorities to do more to help Scottish clubs in Europe.

Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist said: “It’s a shambles. Particularly the Scottish FA. I keep harping back to when Rangers reached the Europa League Final in 2008, it was an absolute embarrassment.

“They made us play five league games in 11 days and there was a UEFA final in between it. The head of the SFA George Peat came out and said another club director said to him ‘don’t help Rangers’. I’ve got the quote in front of me. Ex-SFA supremo Peat told the BBC ‘When Rangers got to the final in Manchester, I got a phone call from a prominent chairman of a club requesting me not to help Rangers in any way’.

Rangers legend Ally McCoist says Scottish football must do more to help clubs in Europe. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

“That’s what you’re dealing with. We’re so blinkered and narrow-minded. Any Scottish team that has an opportunity to do well in Europe should be helped but there’s none. When we played Zenit in 2008 I honestly think they were given three weeks off by their federation and we had to play five league games in 11 days. The Dutch FA want to help their teams.”

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