RANGERS manager Steven Gerrard has called for life bans from football for supporters caught throwing anything from the stands after Alfredo Morelos was struck by an object during his side’s win over St Mirren in Paisley.
The Colombian was celebrating his goal, which sealed a 2-0 win for the Ibrox side, when what appeared to be coin connected with him. It had been thrown from a home fans section.
This came at the end of a bad week for Scottish football following Wednesday night's Edinburgh derby when Hibernian manager Neil Lennon was hit by a coin, Hearts goalkeeper Zdenek Zlamal was punched in the face and assistant referees were targets of missiles thrown from the stands.
Gerrard said: "At any stadium in the world, we don’t want to see things getting thrown on to the pitch. It’s not right to throw things from the crowd. It’s not acceptable in any sport.
“Is it going to have to take someone’s eye to come out or someone to be badly hurt from an object for us to make it stop?
“These people shouldn’t be at a football match. You just ban them forever. It’s that simple. Then it will stop. If it gets ignored then it will go on and on.
“Alfredo didn’t mention it. But he doesn’t. He gets on with it and just wants to play football. He’s been called up for Colombia and I think he’s been excellent. He deserved his goal today. He's been excellent for us."
Oran Kearney, the St Mirren manager, agreed with Gerrard although he had not seen the incident.
He said: "If that is the case then, absolutely, there’s no place for that in football.
"Any person who steps inside a football ground should have an entitlement to their safety in that ground and the same when they walk out of it again. That’s the bare minimum we can ask for.”
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