NEWPORT County AFC boss Terry Butcher has played down his past spat with Plymouth Argyle boss Derek Adams as the pair get ready to renew their rivalry, writes Michael Pearlman.

The duo worked together when Butcher was Motherwell boss, but met in the dug-out with bragging rights at stake as managers of Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County.

They clashed in the heat of battle, the rivals’ filmed nose-to-nose as discussions got heated in one derby.

However, Butcher insists there is no bad blood from his end, despite the infamous bust-up in 2013.

“I am looking forward to seeing my old pal Derek Adams again,” he said.

“I know there is the video of us rowing, but we get on very well.

“He played for me for Motherwell and then went on to Aberdeen and have had several little battles on the touchline, literally!

“But we get on very, very well. He is emotional during a game, as am I and sometimes it is a good job there is a fourth official there to sort it out.

“But we leave the disputes at the touchline; there is no problem at all between us.

“He doesn’t swear and he doesn’t drink. We are the complete opposites!”

Adams has stated previously that he admires County boss Butcher.

“Big Terry and I were arch rivals at Ross County and Inverness, but the truth is that we actually got on very well,” he said.

“We fought our corner for our football clubs, sure. But it gave everybody a wee bit of interest in the Highlands. It gave it all a wee bit of razzmatazz and edge.

“We had a go at each other in derby games. But look at the crowds since we left those clubs. They have dwindled. We made that game an occasion.”

Adams says the row has grown as a result of the TV footage.

“That’s how we tried to portray it,” he said. “It was good for business.

“We stoked up an atmosphere, a bit of aggro.

“People thought we didn’t like each other. That we didn’t like each other’s clubs. That it could all go off at any time. And because of that people came through the gates.

“The reality is that I spoke to Terry just a couple of weeks ago. Terry has even helped me with some bits of my CV, for goodness sake. We are friends.”