Scots comic Limmy tells of stabbing fear over 'I thought Celtic legend Danny McGrain was dead' message

The row blew up when the comic known more commonly as Limmy posted a tweet saying he thought McGrain had died after being electrocuted in his loft - and then asked which player he was actually thinking about.

Limond was bombarded with abuse by fans believing it was a sick joke - even though he insisted it was merely a serious question.

It was pointed out that the Celtic star he was thinking about was winger Johnny Doyle who died, aged 30, when he was electrocuted in his trophy room while carrying out DIY in his Kilmarnock home in Ayrshire in 1981.

Limmy's remark generated abuse with some responding by referring to him being stabbed.

One Twitter user said in linking to Johnny Doyle's Wikipedia entry: "You are thinking of this Celtic player. Easy mistake to make. Try and avoid being stabbed."

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Another added: "Had the pleasure of meeting @DaftLimmy at a charity do once. He was surprisingly down to earth, and VERY funny. Tragic to hear that he got stabbed in Glesga for forgetting what Celtic player got electrocuted in his loft."

Another told the 43-year-old: "You sound like someone on Death Row on their way to the chair trying to talk your way out of it, clinging to hope that it won't actually happen. It's over mate, you're getting stabbed and that's that."

Limmy's tweet, which some said should have been deleted said: "Saw Danny McGrain trending.  I thought he died by being electrocuted in his loft.  Who am I thinking about?"

The TV comedian attacked the poisonous reaction in a series of messages saying: "Greatest of respects to both Rangers and Celtic fans, but I'm not a part of your war with each other, I never really have been, so when I say that I thought somebody was dead, that's all I mean. As much as you want it to be something more, it's f**k all.

"But just to clarify, on this occasion, with the Danny McGrain thing, it was not... a f**king... joke.

"Stepping away from Twitter until this utter f**king nonsense calms down.

"I wasn't trying to be funny. It's like when I saw Stephanie Beacham on the telly the other day, and I thought she was dead as well. I didn't get hit with all this 'don't see the joke' patter from Beacham fans.

"There needs to be a term for how easy it is to get your c**t kicked in in Glasgow for saying the wrong thin about Rangers or Celtic. The same way you have the term 'a New York minute'."

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He said people who were not accepting his explanation think he is lying and that they've "uncovered a plot".

"I think it's cos they're so into the Old Firm (or whatever the f**k it's called now) that they can't believe a guy from Glesga would not know who's alive and who's dead from those two teams. They can't believe I wouldn't know. So it must be a wind up.

Danny McGrain unfurls the Scottish Premiership championship flag

"Or it's inconceivable that you could mention death in the same breath as a player in a neutral way. It must either be to honour the player, or to mock them. One or the other. Must be one or the other. Inconceivable that it's neutral."

Later he said: "Right, listen, Brian. Go to sleep. They got the wrong end of the stick, you can't control people's minds. You can't force them to believe you. Just let it go. If you get stabbed, you get stabbed. Death by stabbing, with a perceived sectarian motive. Not unusual for Glasgow.

"You've met people who have been stabbed. They weren't going around in shock for weeks and months afterwards. It'll hurt, but not as much as you think. You'll maybe die, but you feel f**k all when you die.

"Just get your affairs in order. Make sure Lynn [his partner] has your passwords for things, to tie up the loose ends. Meet the people you want to say goodbye to.

"Make sure you meet your da! Tell him why you're getting plunged.

"Tell him that it was because of something he told you, that you didn't remember well. Something to warn you about when you were up the loft that time, and it worked. It stuck in your head all this time.

"And tell him what's ironic about the situation. Dad, you know how I've never really been into football and Rangers and Celtic all that much? You'd think that would keep me out of trouble. But in fact, it's my lack of knowledge that is getting me stabbed f**k oota.

"It's because fitbaw isnae at the forefront of my mind. It's my lack of sectarianism that is gonnae get me stabbed for sectarianism.

"My dad won't understand. He'll start crying, and I'll say, 'Hush now. No more tears. It's time for me to go now'."

He said it was not the first time he had become embroiled in a row with Old Firm fans.

The comedian recalled that he made a joke about Orange, the phone company who had overcharged him and he tweeted that they were 'dirty Orange ba*****s".

"Then I said I can joke about taht cos 'my family are dirty Orange ba*****s'.... the f***ing shi** I got for that from Rangers fans. "It's a mad city. Mental city. Lot of mental c**ts in it when it comes to football, even in 2018. Scary."

He said he also got this "sort of sh**e" when he did a Tina Turner sketch which featured a trophy that said The Best.

"And The Best was seen as a Rangers song, I had to think about how the thing would be interpreted as an anti-Celtic attack."

He then wrote a follow up sketch where two Old Firm fans were watching the skit and arguing over it.

"But I decided not to film it. Waste of energy. Nothing you can do."