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Ex-Dundee United and Hearts boss Craig Levein ‘fed up’ with Celtic and Rangers as he attacks Old Firm influence

Craig Levein.
Craig Levein.

Former Dundee United and Hearts gaffer Craig Levein has criticised Celtic and Rangers’ influence on Scottish football.

Levein – speaking on the Football Daft podcast – accused the Hoops of playing a key role in the Jambos’ relegation to the Championship following the controversial SPFL ballot that saw Dundee change their vote from ‘no’ to ‘yes’.

And he also took aim at the Sir David Murray era at Ibrox.

Former Rangers chairman Sir David Murray.
Former Rangers chairman Sir David Murray.

The ex-Scotland boss – who officially left Tynecastle in the summer – said: “I’m fed up with the two of them.

“Honestly, it’s all people think football is in Scotland, and the press play up to it all the time.

“This whole stuff last season with Hearts getting relegated was a nonsense, an absolute nonsense, and part of it was to do with Celtic getting the title so that they could try and break this record of nine-in-a-row.

‘I can’t be bothered with the nonsense’

“I just can’t be bothered with it. For a while David Murray ran Scottish football and Rangers were calling all the shots and getting all the good publicity and now I think Celtic are doing exactly the same.

“They call the shots with all the big decisions in Scotland and I think it’s really unfair.

“So I can’t be bothered with the nonsense.”

The dramatic events of last season in the capital are captured in the BBC documentary This is Our Story: Inside Hearts.

Levein added: “I haven’t seen it yet. Some people have contacted me about it.

“When they started to do it…it’s quite bizarre, they started filming when I got the bullet.

“So I never really spoke to anybody from the programme, on camera anyway. I like the people who were doing it.

Robbie Neilson left Dundee United to return to Hearts in the summer.

“Actually, it wasn’t really meant to be the sort of Sunderland documentary, or Leeds documentary, it wasn’t meant to be like that.

“It was just more about having a look behind the scenes.

“But I think everybody, because of what happened, with the Covid, and also me leaving, Daniel [Stendel] coming in, he left, Austin [MacPhee] was in charge for a while… there was all that stuff going on.

“I think everyone was wanting to see what happened and what situations arose. But it wasn’t meant to be like that.

“It was just meant to be more of a behind-the-scenes thing. Not so much, just about the football.”