Ally snubbed in £1M twin raid to land Hearts pair

HEARTS today rejected a double bid from Rangers for winger David Templeton and defender Ryan McGowan.

Ibrox boss Ally McCoist has confirmed his interest in landing Templeton, but has been rebuffed at the first attempt after the Jambos turned down a joint offer, believed to be less than £1million, for two of their star men.

McCoist faces a race against time to strengthen his squad before an SFA registration embargo kicks in at midnight, with Templeton, McGowan and Kilmarnock’s Cammy Bell all on his radar and could go back to the table as the clock ticks down tonight.

McCoist said: “I have said for a few weeks now that we need bodies in and David is certainly one that we would be really keen to get, along with a few others. Since the

last time I said we needed bodies in, Maurice Edu and Kirk Broadfoot have gone the other way.

“Ideally, I would like to get another keeper in and let young Scott Gallacher go and play somewhere. I know Cammy has had an operation on an arm, but that wouldn’t put me off. He is somebody else’s player and you have to respect that.

“Managers will obviously go high, but I certainly think we need a handful, if not six. We are low on numbers.”

Meanwhile, McCoist has been handed a three-game touchline ban, suspended for one year, by the SFA over comments made last season regarding the identities of tribunal panel members. Ibrox chief executive Charles Green was heavily censured for comments he made in the media.

Green said: “The decision of the judicial panel was disappointing as they accepted there was no intention on my part to bring the game into disrepute and this is reflected in the sanction imposed.

“I explained to the SFA previously and have said publicly what I meant by my remarks and it is time to move on.”

McCoist said: “At no time did I intend to bring the game into disrepute when I made my feelings known about the decision by a judicial panel, set up under the auspices of the SFA, to impose a transfer embargo on Rangers.

“I felt the decision was wrong and my concern was that everyone must have full confidence in a system that has the capacity to impose such severe sanctions. I wanted full transparency on a decision which had farreaching implications for our club.

“At no time did I wish any individual subjected to intimidation as a result of my comments and I am pleased this aspect of the complaint was dismissed.”