And football fans have also been warned the Scottish government and local councils will step in and take action – including potentially closing down stands and stadiums – if clubs show they are unable to maintain order and prevent crowd unrest themselves.

Bojan Miovski, the Rangers striker who spent two years as a player at Aberdeen, was barracked by home supporters in the Merkland Stand when he came out to warm up at the weekend and the North Macedonian internationalist and his fellow substitutes then had to retreat to the away dugout after they had cups thrown at them. 

Worse was to follow when midfielder Thelo Aasgaard had put the Ibrox club in front midway through the first half – centre-half Emmanuel Fernandez was struck on the head by what appeared to be a coin as he and his team-mates celebrated the opener in front of the “Red Shed”.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland had to clear cups out of his penalty box in the second half of the encounter between the bitter rivals.

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Nicolas Raskin, the visitors’ midfielder, had liquid from a cup thrown on him...