Burley: I had to ban duo

The Rangers duo had been banished to the bench as punishment for taking part in a Sunday-morning drinking session at the team hotel. However, Burley and Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith were then angered by skipper Ferguson and goalkeeper McGregor's apparent V-signs while sitting on the bench.

And, after an angry public response to photographs and television footage of the gestures, Burley felt they had to set and example by handing them lifetime Scotland bans, saying; "I met with Gordon Smith on Thursday and we talked through the arrangements at Cameron House and the events leading up to the game."

He added: "We knew we had to make sure what happened would never happen again and also we really wanted to draw a line under it.

"At that stage, I hadn't really seen any papers or watched the match again. When I did, I realised we needed to speak again.

"The gestures had clearly made a lot of people very angry and this was obviously something completely different to the incidents at Cameron House.

"We talked again first thing on Friday morning and Gordon, George Peat and myself were in agreement about what needed to be done.

"It's not a decision that was taken lightly, but the SFA have to set an example to other players.

"I have to have the respect of the players and I have to make tough decisions."