‘Completely unacceptable’ Rangers incident ahead of Celtic clash prompts call for SFA action

Keith Hackett has called on the SFA to contact Rangers over a tifo raised by fans ahead of their 3-0 Premier Sports Cup win over Celtic on Sunday.

Dan Neil netted twice, either side of a Kevin Kelsy goal, to book the Gers a spot in the semi-finals, where they'll meet either Hearts, Hibernian or Aberdeen at Hampden Park.

Derek McInnes' men completely blew Celtic away at Ibrox, with the Gers manager's tactics taking the away side by surrpise.

However, a fan display prior to kick-off could land the Light Blues in yet more hot water with the SFA.

There were no Celtic fans at Ibrox on Sunday with away supporters banned from all Old Firm fixtures this season due to continual crowd disorder in the games.

Rangers are also set to play at an empty Ibrox if they get a home game in the Scottish Cup this season, and Hackett believes there could be more contact from the SFA in regards to behaviour in the stands.

What the tifo showed ahead of Rangers' win vs Celtic

Before kick-off, a banner in the Copland Road was raised showing a famous altercation between Ian Ferguson grabbing Mike Galloway.

The tifo showed Ferguson aggressively holding Galloway, who died earlier this year, by the shirt.

Former Premier League referee and ex-PGMOL general manager Hackett reckons that the aggressive nature of the image shown by Rangers fans isn't something that should be heralded amid a period where there's so much friction between the Govan giants and the SFA.

He believes the governing body will be having stern words with Rangers, as a result.

Speaking to Ibrox News, he said: "It is completely unacceptable and the Scottish Football Association should contact Rangers to advise them that it is unsuitable.

"With that contact they should give a clear warning that it must not be used again."

Previous issues with Rangers tifos

While this is a fairly tame tifo in comparison to previous displays put on by Rangers fans, there is a history of issues with them.

Last year, the police investigated a tifo showing Graeme Souness pointing a shotgun, alongside the words: "Take aim against the rebel scum."

Rangers condemned that, but despite that, the police eventually concluded that nothing criminal occured and the SFA didn't respond.

In March of last year, UEFA did fine Rangers for a discriminatory banner that said: "“Keep woke foreign ideologies out. Defend Europe."