Hugh Burns has claimed that Neil Lennon’s actions at Ibrox could have prompted a repeat of the touchline attack that he suffered at Tynecastle in 2011.
The former Ibrox defender is a regular on the club’s television station and watched Saturday’s match from the television gantry.
Yesterday Police Scotland dropped any enquiry into Lennon’s behaviour despite being flooded by complaints from fans at the match.
Throughout the game the Hibs boss was subjected to anti-Irish abuse with no action from Police Scotland or comment from the football authorities.
Giving his views on the matter to The Sun Burns said: “What Lennon did was terrible, especially given that there’s already bad blood between the fans of the two clubs after last year’s Scottish Cup Final.
“It’s all very well celebrating, and everyone knows Lennon’s an emotional guy. But the way he behaved beggared belief.
“When it happened I looked at the fans around me and I saw anger and hatred on their faces. It could easily have sparked a riot. All it needed was one guy who had a drink too many to react and it would all have kicked off.
“It would have been like the time Lennon got attacked on the track at Tynecastle when he was Celtic boss.
“I’m surprised the police didn’t investigate what went on, even just to warn him. It’s as if he thinks he’s above the law.
“I’m not representing Rangers when I say this, but I want to defend my club and its fans because I’m one of them.
“What’s gone on in the past has been well-documented, with his confrontation with Ally McCoist, and him being sent bullets in the post.
“You you can’t condone that kind of stuff. It’s undeserved, but he does bring a hell of a lot of attention on himself.”
Hibs have kept quiet so far on the concentrated efforts to blame the actions of their manager for the reactions of the Ibrox fans.
The fact that newly promoted Hibs were able to come from behind and win at Ibrox after Pedro Caixinha’s £10m spending spree seems to have been completely glossed over.
This Saturday there will be no Lennon fall guy to blame if things go wrong against Hearts.
As Lennon gets the blame for all manner of problems the fifth best coach in Qatar has got off to a worst start to the season that Mark Warburton who left the club in February as Celtic moved out of sight.
Go to 7 minutes 10 for pitch invasion
In 1985 Rangers (IL) fans invaded the pitch during a 3-0 defeat from Aberdeen that saw Burns and Craig Paterson sent off in the first half.