Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Rangers' fans for keeping their 'dignity' after Scottish football was taught a lesson for voting to expel the club from the top flight in 2012.

The Ibrox club were infamously forced to work their way back up the professional pyramid in Scotland after suffering liquidation.

Ten of the 12 clubs in the SPL at the time voted in favour of sending Rangers to the old Third Division. Kilmarnock abstained from the vote, while Rangers of course opposed the move.

It was a long journey for the Ibrox side. It took them four years to climb back to the Premiership.

But Manchester United and Scotland legend Ferguson has heaped praise on his former club for the way they conducted themselves in getting back to the top, and the fans.

The 81-year-old told Rangers TV: "I think it was a lesson to the ones who voted to put them out because the crowds went down, they were missing the Rangers fans.

"I can't remember all the reasons why that happened but they could have found a better solution to it because at the end of the day the health of the game is derived around supporters and those supporters weren't there.

"But to get back, it was a long journey, it wasn't overnight.

"I was surprised about Rangers, after they got back in the Premier League, they [the fans] still travelled. They could easily have said 'well I'm not going there, you voted us out'. But they kept their dignity."

Meanwhile, Ally McCoist has branded Scotland fans "out of order" for booing England's national anthem at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.

God Save The King was drowned out by the home support prior to kick-off before Flower of Scotland was sung.

McCoist was disappointed by the reaction and he insists that all anthems should be respected by the home support.

READ MORE: Ally McCoist brands Scotland fans 'out of order' for England booing

Speaking on talkSPORT he said: "I think another country's national anthem should be respected and I think it was absolutely out of order.

"I do not like the booing of any national anthem to be honest with you. I just think it is a distinct lack of respect. I genuinely dislike it intensely. If you can't show respect, I am not talking about England, I am talking about anybody or anybody that goes to Hampden, any football ground or any sporting event. If you can't show the opposition respect by respecting their national anthem, I think it is a poor show."