Barry Ferguson brushed off a post-match scuffle between his Rangers players and Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie, suggesting the heated scenes were “a bit of passion” after a thrilling comeback at Pittodrie.
Rangers, down to 10 men, battled back from two goals behind to earn a 2-2 draw and stall Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title celebrations.
Ianis Hagi’s sublime strike in the sixth minute of second half stoppage time rescued a point for the visitors, sending the away end wild and leaving the hosts furious at a win that slipped through their fingers.
Shinnie’s frustration boiled over at full-time as he squared up to Rangers defender John Souttar, sparking a brief confrontation on the pitch.
Aberdeen youngster Jack Milne stepped in to play peacemaker, before Rangers interim manager Ferguson and several other players decided to join in.
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Speaking after the match, Ferguson played down the incident and suggested that Scottish football sometimes misses the needle that an Aberdeen vs Rangers fixture brings.
“It was just a bit of passion,” he told BBC Scotland. “I don’t mind that. The Aberdeen players were showing a bit of passion, I turned round and our players were showing a bit of passion. That’s what I want to see.
“It’s a dying art in the game, a bit of passion. It was nothing really. Aberdeen will be disappointed to drop two points, and we’re disappointed to only leave with one.”
Despite his side’s slow start, Ferguson was encouraged by Rangers' second-half performance, especially since they had to cope with ten men on the pitch from Ross McCausland's 40th minute dismissal.
“I was a lot happier with the second half,” he added. “We created a few chances, looked dangerous on the break — but it would help if we could keep 11 men on the pitch.”
The result keeps Celtic waiting to clinch the title, while both sides were left to reflect on points dropped in a fiery afternoon in the Granite City.
