Football stars including Alan Hansen, Ally McCoist and David Moyes have been targeted by their own supporters after coming out in favour of a No vote in the independence referendum.
Sixteen of Scotland’s greatest ever footballers as well as managers Billy McNeill and Walter Smith released a statement calling for people to reject the independence proposals on September 18.
The statement read: “We are proud Scots who have been proud to represent our country around the world.
“When Scotland calls, we answer.”
“We are proud that Scotland has always stood on its own two feet but we also believe that Scotland stands taller because we are part of the United Kingdom.
“The United Kingdom is a country Scotland helped to build.
“We urge every patriotic Scot to help maintain Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom which has served Scotland so well.”
But the former stars soon found themselves at the centre of a Twitter storm.
One Tweet attacking former BBC pundit Alan Hansen even published a photograph of his house on Merseyside. Both Alan Hansen and Paddy Crerand were slammed for joining the debate even though they no longer live in Scotland.
Hansen left for Liverpool in 1977 while Crerand arrived in Manchester in 1963.
Other footballers such as Ally McCoist faced abuse over the fact that previous comments may have been seen as being in favour of independence.
Murdo MacLeod was accused of wanting to strip and privatise the National Health Service which saved his life.
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