Parcel bombs sent to Celtic manager Lennon

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Mr McBride last week criticised the Scottish Football Association over what he suggested was its prefrential treatment of Rangers following Gers’ assistant Ally McCoist’s successful appeal against a touchline ban for a heatled touchline arguement with Mr Lennon after the Old Firm Scottish Cup fifth-round replay on 2 March.

SNP First Minister Alex Salmond confirmed that an emergency meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee was held on Saturday to discuss the incidents.

He released a statemnt, which read: “Let us be quite clear – there is a major police investigation under way to ensure that the individual or individuals concerned are identified and apprehended, and then brought to book with the full force of the law.

“We will not tolerate this sort of criminality in Scotland, and as an indication of the seriousness with which we view these developments the Cabinet sub-committee met last Saturday to ensure that the police investigation has every possible support to come to a successful conclusion. We are confident that this will be the case.

“It is time to remember what we value in society, and unite to condemn those who use football as a pretext for their pathetic and dangerous prejudices.”

It is the latest in a series of incidents targeting people linked with the football club.

Earlier this year, packages containing bullets were sent to Lennon and to Celtic players Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn, all three of whom are from Northern Ireland.

Future of Old Firm fixture 'put in doubt'

A spokesman for Celtic chairman, Lord John Reid, said the club had been kept fully informed on events and should be making a statement on the matter later on Wednesday.

It is time to remember what we value in society, and unite to condemn those who use football as a pretext for their pathetic and dangerous prejudices – Alex Salmond

The chief executive of the Scottish Football Association said the news was “depressing and deplorable”. Stewart Regan said the SFA was “horrified and saddened” by the attacks, adding that sectarian hatred was an “unwanted poison” in football.

He said: “Scottish football should be a safe and entertaining environment for players, coaches and supporters. It must not be used as a platform for religious intolerance or hatred.

The news comes several weeks after a host of new measures to tackle violence enveloping Scotland’s Old Firm matches was announced following a summit on football-related disorder.

In recent fixtures between Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers, violence has erupted on and off the field, with the result that entire future of the fixture was threatened.

On 2 March, 34 arrests were made inside Ibrox stadium and many more outside meant that it was a busy evening for the Strathclyde police force. The latest flare-up of the historic rivalry came only a fortnight after the last game between the two sides, which resulted in 229 supporters being detained and all the city’s police cells being filled.