Neil Doncaster insists strict liability is not the answer in Scottish football following the ugly scenes at Ibrox in Rangers’ clash with Celtic.
The second half of the derby showdown was delayed after Joe Hart alerted Willie Collum and stewards that his goal mouth was covered in shards of glass.
Another incident came to light at full-time as a member of the Celtic staff was hit with a bottle during the derby clash.
Police Scotland have launched an investigation into the incident and Rangers have stated they are reviewing stadium CCTV to find the culprits.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon weighed in on Sunday's scenes insisting the football authorities must stamp out the “mindless, thuggish” behaviour - kick-starting the debate over strict liability.
The Scottish Government has previously called for the sanction to be put in place which means clubs can be punished for the misbehaviour of their fans.
However, the SPFL chief executive insists the the clubs must take a hardline stance rather than the door being left open for strict liability punishments for clubs.
Doncaster told The Times: “Strict liability simply does not work, as the repeated fines for specific clubs in Uefa competitions season after season demonstrate very clearly.
“The answer must be far harsher and targeted punishments for the individuals who perpetrate the crime, including a more regular use of football banning orders and, where necessary, custodial sentences.
“There are two main forms of strict liability which have been proposed and neither of them will work.
"The first is to punish the home club for any transgressions in their ground, whether it’s by the away fans or home fans. Unfortunately, this will act as an incentive for some away fans to misbehave, knowing the home clubs will suffer the punishment for their actions. It will inevitably result in clubs refusing to sell tickets to away fans, with the obvious detrimental impact on our game.
“The second is to make clubs strictly liable for the behaviour of their fans at away matches and this will simply lead to clubs refusing to sell their fans tickets for other grounds, for fear of being punished if they misbehave.
“The significant investment by clubs in CCTV technology means it’s far easier to spot and act on incidents caused by the tiny minority of fans who misbehave. Clubs, footballing authorities and the overwhelming majority of decent fans abhor the actions of those who engage in criminal acts at games.
"It’s only by targeting these individuals directly and punishing them to the full extent of the law that we will provide a meaningful and effective deterrent.”
