Michael Stewart has backed Steve Clarke's stinging attack on Rangers fans after the Kilmarnock boss was targeted for sectarian abuse at Ibrox last night.

Clarke was furious after being subjected to chants of “fenian b*******” as his side crashed out of the Scottish Cup.

He mocked Rangers for claiming sectarianism was a thing of the past in talks after they offered him the chance to be named successor to Pedro Caixinha last season.

And the former Chelsea player and coach says he thanks the Stamford Bridge club for allowing him to take his children away from the west cost of Scotland and the blight of bigotry.

Clarke said last night: “They can call me a b****** or a w*****. No problem, thanks guys. But to call me a fenian b******? Come on.

“What are we living in? The dark ages?"

Speaking on the issue this morning former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Stewart, now a Scottish football pundit, admitted he was saddened by the incident.

BBC pundit Michael Stewart
BBC pundit Michael Stewart

And he has called for action by the authorities to tackle the issue, saying it is time for strict liability - where clubs could be docked points for their fans' behaviour - to rid the game of bigotry.

Killie striker Kris Boyd was the target for coin throwing and chants of "fat orange b*****d" during his side's defeat to Celtic on Sunday.

Now Stewart told BBC Radio Scotland: "Steve Clarke said he thanks his lucky stars that his children didn't have to grow up knowing about that (sectarianism).

"And that to me is so sad. Here's a guy who I see as a man of integrity disgusted by what happened to him. He shouldn't have to listen to that.

Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke says he was subjected to vile sectarian abuse at Ibrox

"I spoke about the coin throwing incident. I think the strict liability has to be looked at.

"And we can't just pay lip service to this because if the clubs are serious about stamping this out then that is the only way.

"I know it's turkey's voting for Christmas but ultimately the prize is a much bigger thing of future Steve Clarke's not wanting to go down south.

"This is a great country we have here. But we have a cancer and we have to stamp it out."

Ex-Celtic star and Record Sport columnist Chris Sutton also backed Clarke, writing on Twitter: “I love Scottish football but Steve Clarke is spot on to call out sectarian abuse.

“It is still a huge issue and we shouldn’t bury our heads in the sand.

“The people dishing out the abuse should be called out for what they are and dealt with...it is disgusting.”

David Scott, campaign director of of anti-sectarianism charity Nil By Mouth added: "We have had a number of high profile issues in the last week alone.

"Sadly we are not talking about one offs or a single individual chanting it. We are talking about hundreds of people chanting sickening abuse at people just because they perceive they come from a different background or are attached to a different football team.

"Scottish football has failed for generations to tackle sectarianism. The vast majority of people who go to watch football matches in Scotland are decent people.

"The problem is this noisy, sizeable minority who insist on shouting the loudest and dragging us back to the dark days.

"The dilemma for the majority is how do you actually identify people within your ranks who are behaving in this manner.

"And the clubs invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in sophisticated software, CCTV footage where you can identify people.

"So what you have here is a reluctance to pursue this. You are talking about hundreds of people in a stand so police can't wade in and make arrests.

"So it brings us back again to the elephant in the football room of strict liability, which is a European model and holds the club responsible for consistent failures to tackle this issue.

"And what we have seen in Scottish football, particularly from the Old Firm clubs, is a complete washing of hands and saying this is nothing to do with us. This is society's problem."

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