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Page last updated at 12:11 GMT, Saturday, 4 October 2008 13:11 UK

Rangers fans prompt Corrie change

Gray O'Brien
The Coronation Street character Tony Gordon, with Rosie Webster

Coronation Street bosses have changed the script for an episode of the soap after complaints from Rangers fans.

Supporters complained after the character Tony Gordon - played by Scottish actor Gray O'Brien - made a jibe about the Glasgow club.

O'Brien's character had said: "I could no more be interested in Rosie Webster than I could support Glasgow Rangers."

An ITV spokeswoman confirmed that after "dozens" of complaints, the script for a forthcoming episode had been changed.

ITV said that line seemed "to have caused some upset".

We felt in the absence of a character balancing things up on the other side of the Old Firm, it was a line not worth repeating
ITV spokeswoman
One of the character's lines in a future episode - reported to be a remark that he was allergic to "warm beer, the English national anthem and Glasgow Rangers" - has now been dropped.

The spokewoman said: "Both comments were in keeping with the character of Tony Gordon.

"But we have to bear in mind that it does seem to have caused some upset so the decision was made to take the line out.

"It doesn't compromise the drama of the episode and if it did then the line definitely wouldn't have been taken out."

She added: "We also felt in the absence of a character balancing things up on the other side of the Old Firm, it was a line not worth repeating."


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