IT was the incident that Andy Halliday classes as the lowest point of his Rangers career.

And it is the one the midfielder reckons could see the fun being sucked out of Scottish football as players fear the repercussions of what should be one of the best highs in the game.

Just weeks after being wrongly sent off in the top of the table clash with Hibernian at Ibrox, Halliday saw red for the second time in Light Blue against Morton in January.

After celebrating a Barrie McKay strike that would prove to be the winner at Cappielow, Halliday was shown a second yellow for his actions as he walked up the middle of the park with his arms raised.

The decision left boss Mark Warburton, his team-mates and Gers fans furious, and attracted widespread criticism throughout our game as Halliday’s joy turned to despair.

The 24-year-old has been a key player for Rangers this term as he has helped his boyhood heroes move to within touching distance of the Championship title.

And Halliday hopes his fellow professionals don’t succumb to the same killjoy rules and regulations in the future.

He said: "If you play for Rangers, it's a 24/7 lifestyle - you get abuse no matter where you go.

“We're big enough characters to accept that. But the one thing you're going to enjoy is a Saturday when your team are scoring goals and if you take that away from us, then you're taking the fun away, it's as simple as that.

“I would completely understand if I had walked towards the Morton fans or ran towards them, but I was in the centre circle and five seconds after that fist pump I have turned round to go again from the kick off.

“Like I've said from day dot I think it was unjustified. Whether the linesman thinks he's made a mistake then I'll never know.

“At the end of the day we are all human and if he has, he can hold his hand up and we'll get on with it. But hopefully we can re-evaluate the situation in the summer.”

Thankfully for Rangers, the decision to send Halliday off didn’t prove costly at Cappielow, or in the game he missed a few days later as Warburton’s side saw off Falkirk at Ibrox.

But it was a tough time for the midfielder as he was forced to watch on from the stands due to a controversial call that grabbed the headlines in Scotland and beyond.

The Hampden rulebook meant Rangers were unable to launch a bid to overturn Halliday’s suspension and the Ibrox star has sympathy for players who fall foul to the regulations.

Halliday said: “It was probably the lowest point I have had in my Rangers career.

“When it comes twice in the space of three or four weeks you just want answers, it’s a simple as that.

“With the structure we have got in place you can’t appeal two bookings. Hopefully they will change something like that come the end of the season.

“The disappointing thing for me was seeing the video analysis from the stand directly behind the linesman’s view. We could see what happened.

“I am not going to go into it too much because I want to try and move on from it. But it was probably the lowest point I have had in a Rangers jersey.

“[I did] nothing. [I] celebrated a goal. It is disappointing.

“What I will say is that I am not the only one. I saw Jason Cummings’ sending off against Hearts. It was a similar situation. What chance have you got?

“Jason Cummings has had nothing but stick for four or five months over allegations and silly comments and he goes into a derby and scores a winning goal and he can’t celebrate it. It is not on really.

“It is something that we might need to look at come the end of the season. If that sparks a riot then anything will on a football park.”

Halliday is not the first, and he won’t be the last, player to be booked for celebrating a goal while the current rules remain in place.

The midfielder received an apology from whistler Bobby Madden after his straight red card for an incident with Hibs counterpart Fraser Fyvie was overturned on appeal.

And Halliday has called for a rethink of the rules to ensure players aren’t given the harshest possible punishment for their actions in any scenes of celebration in the future.

He said: “If you get sent off you can’t approach officials, it’s as simple as that. Staff members will. But my mentality since that day was trying to move on from it.

“Hopefully stuff will change come the end of the season regarding it. You don’t want to completely change the rules so you can appeal after every two booking offences.

“But in an outstanding situation like that you would like to think that common sense prevails and something will get done.

“I want to move on from it. Hopefully at the end of the season they can re-evaluate that.”

After missing out on victory over the Bairns at Ibrox, Halliday returned to the starting line-up for the trip to Raith Rovers a few days later last month.

He netted the only goal of the game in a crucial win for Warburton’s side and celebrated in a more old-fashioned manner with handshakes all round.

And he hopes he will have plenty more reasons to be cheerful as he looks to help Rangers to the Championship crown in the coming weeks.

Halliday said: "Just to make sure! It was a bit of tongue and cheek banter and I'm glad that was taken in the right way.

“That goal meant a little bit more to me, obviously because of the celebrations the week before and it went onto be the winner which was nice.

“But when you look at it, the celebrations weren't much different. If the ref or linesman came out and held their hands up and said it was a mistake then we move on, but hopefully I can score many more goals and celebrate and hopefully it won't be a booking."

 

*Rangers are entering a key period of the campaign with a Scottish Cup Quarter Final tie against Dundee this weekend, the Petrofac Cup Final against Peterhead in April and a number of crucial SPFL Championship fixtures to look forward to and supporters can play an important role.

Fans can now take advantage of a four-match ticket package offer with prices starting from £65* for adults, £52* for concessions and just £13** for kids.

The four-match package is valid from the Rangers v Morton game at Ibrox on Friday, 11 March and includes Queen of the South on Saturday, 26 March, Dumbarton on Tuesday, 5 April and Alloa Athletic on Saturday, 23 April.***

Packages are available online at www.rangers.co.uk, by calling 0871 702 1972 or visiting the Rangers Ticket Centre.

T & Cs apply. Prices quoted * are Value Season Tickets in the Club Deck and ** Family Section in Broomloan Rear.

***Match dates are subject to change. Calls cost 13p per minute plus network extras