Gers: BBC montage was 'tasteless'

Gers: BBC montage was 'tasteless'

Published Sep. 28, 2012 7:15 a.m. ET

Rangers have lodged a formal complaint with the BBC over the opening sequence to their coverage of Wednesday night's clash against Motherwell.

The Sportscene programme began with an animated montage, based on American television show Mad Men's own opening credits, which the Ibrox club has branded "tasteless".

The BBC has responded by saying there was no intention to cause offence, after Rangers claimed to be "inundated" with complaints from angry supporters.

The club is also unhappy with a discussion centred on manager Ally McCoist which took place on the BBC Radio Scotland show Off The Ball on Saturday.

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A statement on the club's website read: "Rangers Football Club has lodged a formal complaint with the BBC following what it regards as a tasteless opening title sequence for last night's live League Cup TV coverage.

"The Light Blues have today been inundated with emails and phone calls from supporters who are - rightly, in our opinion - furious with the way the programme began.

"It started with an animated montage which depicted a Rangers official, clearly manager Ally McCoist, falling from an office window at Ibrox and smashing a club crest.

"The incident follows a discussion on BBC Radio Scotland show Off The Ball on Saturday entitled 'Super Ally or Fat Sally', which questioned whether fans still backed McCoist.

"While the manager is known for his good sense of humour, he is both angry and disgusted by the BBC's treatment both of him personally and of the club.

"As such, Rangers have made contact with the BBC this morning asking why they have chosen to act in such a manner and we await their response."

A BBC Scotland spokesman said: "Sportscene's opening sequence included an animation based around the title sequence of a well known American TV drama.

"It was a creative attempt to set up the clash between Motherwell and Rangers.

"We accept that the creative animation - however well intentioned - may not have appealed to everyone but we would like to stress that there was no intention to cause any offence.

"We absolutely reject, however, any suggestions that we have an anti-Rangers bias."

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