Beale defends Morelos Rangers knee slide celebration against Hearts

The Ibrox striker was criticised by Neil McCann after he he wheeled off and dropped to his knees in front of the home support.

McCann said: "I don't know why he does it, I know he's the pantomime villain.

"But he reacted when he scored the first one, a really good header, textbook, going towards the back post, super cross from Barisic and a bullet header.

"Then he goes to that little corner, and I've said how good this ground is, how close the fans are, he goes to his knees and antagonises them. I said at the time I didn't like it.

"The second one because we're waiting so long, I'm thinking he has no reason [to do it again], he's not wheeling away from a backward header.

"He has no reason other than to antagonise the Hearts fans again. It's right into the corner of the section. 

"He is running AWAY from his own fans. 

"I have seen him do that at Fir Park, if you remember away back, when he picked up his second yellow and got sent off.

"I just don't know what goes through the boys' head. 

"And I don't like it, I was maybe strong in my comments, maybe I shouldn't have said that [called him an idiot]."

On the celebration, Beale said today: "I won't agree with that [Neil McCann's comments]. I think the Hearts supporters were maybe trying to incite Alfredo for the whole 90-plus minutes.

"If we are going to say that players can't celebrate goals now, we might as well stop the game. There was a long stoppage for that goal and I think he went and celebrated - he was what, 20-plus yards from them?

"I think a lot is made about them sort of things in Scotland that is not made down south. I have never known this to be a big thing. When we score our second goal and our first goal we are two yards from their fans.

"We have got to celebrate the goal. What do you want us to do, not celebrate and then everyone say he's moody and wants away because he don't celebrate? I think Neil is obviously on the radio, he's passionate, he played for both clubs, he's trying to be impartial and he's said what he has said. I think he will regret that more than maybe Alfredo celebrating.

"I want him to really celebrate goals, I want the whole team to. It's the hardest thing in football to do. We are a team that when it is not going well we get everything thrown at us and when we are winning and winning away from home in front of a rival that's plays behind us in the league - they were unbeaten in ten games coming in - it was a big performance.

"I want people to play with passion, I want them to celebrate goals. It's not inciting, he wasn't right up in front of their face - if you look at it back he was at least 20 yards from the byline. I think VAR sort of stops you from celebrating and he's celebrated after.

"I think it is much ado about nothing. We should probably be talking about some of the abuse that comes the other way in our stadiums not so much the players celebrating goals."

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