Ally McCoist has aimed a swipe at John Kennedy and urged him to mind his own business over the SFA's treatment of the 'Rangers Five'.

The Celtic interim manager this week questioned the ban delay for Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Bongani Zungu, Dapo Mebude and Brian Kinnear, that will allow the three first-team players to play in the Scottish Cup fourth round derby match at Ibrox.

Kennedy was livid at the inconsistency after Celtic's own player, Boli Bolingoli, was dealt with swiftly when he broke Covid protocols earlier this season. Gers' players, meanwhile, were deliberated over for two months before a decision was made - to issue a six match ban, two suspended - and then delay the Light Blues' appeal until AFTER the derby.

Celts issued a statement demanding 'consistency and transparency', but McCoist was having none of it. The ex-Ibrox striker told BT Sport Scottish Football Extra: "With the greatest of respect to John, it's not John's business really.

"I mean did you hear Steven Gerrard getting involved in Bolingoli's antics when he was flying all over western Europe? I mean Steven never got involved in that, what's that all about? Concern yourself with your own affairs and things that can affect you, and things that you can control."

Kennedy had originally said: "We were addressed very quickly in the situation we were in. We’d games postponed and the players were dealt with fairly quickly. I really don’t know what the delay and the hold-up is. 

“It’s not our situation but, looking from the outside in, I don’t understand why there’s such a delay.  A player played against us who probably should have been banned. 

“They’ve broken rules. Regardless if you are a talent or you’re not, you’ve still broken the protocols and there’s a punishment that goes with that. Our players are talented. They’ve been punished. It’s the same difference. 

“The SFA probably need to address this themselves and give a bit more clarity to everyone in terms of the hold-up and why it’s taken so long. It’s only my opinion, but it’s something I think should have been dealt with a hell of a lot quicker to remain consistent with all the other decisions that have happened.”