Barry Ferguson rejects Charlie Mulgrew’s Celtic cuddle attempt as Rangers legend revisits Tennent’s Sixes clash

Barry Ferguson has refused to fully embrace Celtic rival Charlie Mulgrew after the pair revisited their fiery exchange following the Tennent’s Sixes final.

The former Rangers captain and ex-Celtic defender came face to face again on Go Radio’s Football Show after their teams produced a dramatic encounter at the six-a-side tournament.

Celtic’s legends edged Rangers 5-4 in the final, sparking celebrations from Mulgrew, who admitted he had taunted Ferguson and Ian Durrant on the Rangers bench after the final whistle.

Mulgrew’s reaction did not go unnoticed, with footage from the Rangers dressing room later emerging to show just how disappointed some of the former Ibrox players were with the defeat. The former defender was also seen leaving his friend Andy Halliday hanging after the match.

Discussing the incident on the radio, Ferguson played down any suggestion of a lasting feud, joking that he had needed to stop Mulgrew from celebrating when they met after the game.

The Rangers hero insisted he had no problem with his old rival enjoying the victory, explaining that he had simply gone onto the pitch to shake Mulgrew’s hand.

Ferguson acknowledged that players celebrate in different ways and stressed that the incident was now behind them.

Mulgrew, meanwhile, reflected on the emotional rollercoaster of the tournament, admitting that the experience had meant a great deal to him.

The former Celtic favourite explained that Rangers had suffered a heavy 7-1 defeat earlier in the weekend, making the final victory even sweeter for the Hoops legends.

He also pointed to the quality and energy of the opposition, admitting that keeping pace with Rangers had been difficult at times.

Mulgrew recalled how the match swung back and forth, with Celtic fighting their way back into the contest before eventually securing the 5-4 triumph.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the trophy, Ferguson said the tournament had been an enjoyable experience, particularly because it allowed him to reconnect with former teammates, managers and opponents he had not seen for years.

For Mulgrew, however, the victory brought emotions he had not expected.

He admitted that winning the tournament felt like lifting a league title, revealing that he was still surprised by the intensity of his emotions when he woke up the following morning.

The Celtic legend explained that the feeling had built throughout the weekend before reaching its peak after the final.

The interview ended with another awkwardly amusing moment when Mulgrew promised to give Ferguson a cuddle before leaving the studio.

True to his word, Mulgrew moved in for the embrace, but Ferguson initially resisted, insisting that he was not a cuddly person.

Mulgrew nevertheless persisted and managed to pull his Rangers rival into the hug, providing a light-hearted conclusion to a reunion that had revisited the tension surrounding Celtic’s dramatic victory.