SPFL chiefs demand lifetime ban for ‘idiotic’ Ibrox coin-tosser after shameful Arne Engels attack

Furious league bosses have called on the police to track down the ‘idiotic’ Ibrox coin tosser and have him banned from football for life.

The SPFL have released a stinging statement following the shameful scenes in the dying minutes of Thursday’s Old Firm showdown, when Celtic sub Arne Engels was felled by a missile while attempting to take a corner. Match ref Don Robertson appeared to pick up several coins from the sidelines and Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed Engles was struck ‘an inch away’ from his eye.

Rangers also released a statement condemning the incident and pledging to assist Police Scotland in a hunt to identify any culprits. And the country’s football authorities want the courts to crack down on thug fans by hitting them with banning orders. An SPFL spokesperson said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable, and we fully support any steps taken to identify those responsible for such idiotic, criminal acts.

“The dangers of so-called supporters throwing such items onto the pitch are obvious and anyone found guilty of such disgraceful conduct must be dealt with severely by the courts, including the imposition of football banning orders. We await the match delegate’s report, and we would urge any fans with relevant information to contact Police Scotland.”

Last month, SFA president Mike Mulraney called for similar life long punishments to be dished out to anyone caught with pyrotechnics inside Scotland’s stadiums - just days after the kick-off to the Old Firm’s league cup final had to be delayed because of smoke bombs in the stands. Mulraney said: There’s one critical thing we have to remember - it’s a crime. Everybody is losing focus on the fact that it is a crime and that we have legislation to deal