RANGERS are planning stricter crowd controls at Ibrox following complaints about spitting and coins and pies being thrown at visiting supporters from the top tier of the Broomloan stand.

The Ibrox club have had meetings with the police, and director-secretary Campbell Ogilvie promised: ``This problem has been going on for a while now and we feel more severe measures are required.

``Recently, a bit of nastiness has been creeping back back into Scottish football and we must sort out our own backyard first. We realise only a minority of fans are involved, but we cannot have them jeopardising things for the decent-minded majority.''

Operations executive Alistair Hood added: ``We just won't tolerate bad behavior. At the recent game against Hearts, a disabled fan was spat on and this is the sort of thing we do not want associated with Rangers Football Club.

``We are determined to root these people out of Ibrox.''

Meanwhile, the SFA will not be taking any action against Rangers midfielder Paul Gascoigne, who appeared to aim an elbow at Celtic striker Pierre van Hooydonk during last Sunday's Old Firm match.

The incident happened as John Hughes scored Celtic's equaliser, and while those watching television were given a close-up of the incident, match referee Jim McCluskey did not see it.

The SFA, having received the referee supervisor's report, which contains no word of the incident, say they will not be taking any action.

Video evidence will not be used by the Scottish FA until next season.

q.RAITH Rovers have offered Stevie Crawford and Colin Cameron new two-year deals. Both players are out of contract in the summer, but manager Jimmy Thomson is eager to keep them at Stark's Park.

He said: ``We want to keep them. I want to create competition for places and we can only do that by holding on to our best players.''

q.ROMANIAN Ion Timofte is out of this summer's European Championship finals. The 28-year-old Boavista midfielder will need six months to recover from a broken leg and nose suffered in a Portuguese league match last Sunday.