Celtic legend Chris Sutton has labelled Ally McCoist “reckless and irresponsible” over controversial comments made about Scotland's new hate crime legislation.

The Rangers icon was live on air on talkSPORT when he labelled the SNP administration's law as "madness" and suggested jokingly that he "along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of that hate bill” at Ibrox on Sunday when Celtic come to Govan.

The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act was brought into force on April 1st and created the new crime of ‘stirring up hatred’ when comments were made in relation to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. 

And Sutton feels his Sky colleague's comments were ill-advised and "clumsy" after significant online criticism was thrown McCoist's way.

He told the Daily Mail’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast: “He left himself wide open, you know, saying that he along with 48,000 will be committing a breach of the bill in that fixture.

READ MORE: Ally McCoist admits Rangers vs Celtic fear over 'crazy' hate crime law

“Look, I know Ally well, I've worked with Ally a lot. I suspect that his comments may have well been tongue-in-cheek. But if they weren't, then got to say they were pretty reckless, irresponsible comments. Daft, I think his choice of words were clumsy. I know he's not going to the game.

"He's come out now and said that he's not going to the game which may have not sort of got him out of it, but his way of getting out of the words which he used. He will have to address this one, I thought is comments were slightly odd in truth.”