Mitchell, who headed up the SPL between 1998 and 2002, hasn’t hidden his support for Celtic but has called on his fellow Hoops fans to “take the moral high ground” regarding their Old Firm rivals.

In a series of messages posted on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, Mitchell said: “Since “Armageddon” I’ve been relatively ambivalent about Rangers.  “Been openly a “move on” guy, but still love to see them struggle like today. So many bhoys however are clearly obssessed by them. I mean obsessed. Their name, complex insolvency law, Res12, no Old Firm exists.”

He added: “Just concentrate on your own team and identity. Don’t define yourself in relation to others, especially when they are so far behind you.

Roger Mitchell, at his unveiling as SPL chief in July 1998. Picture: SNS Group

• READ MORE (from 2002) - Roger Mitchell’s head in clouds as Sky fell in

“Take the moral high ground. Don’t drop back to a lower level. But no, every critical statement about Celtic needs a whitabootery defence.

“It’s so weak. If I criticize Celtic management over x, y, z, push back and say I’m wrong, ideally with rational debate,” he continued.

“Don’t say they were worse. And don’t say I must be one of ‘them’. It’s pathetic honestly.”

Unsurprisingly a number of Celtic supporters replied to Mitchell, who hit back: “The best way to ‘dis’ a rival is to treat them as if they no longer matter. Not refer to them every day.”

Mitchell claimed that making sure the “disaster that was Rangers can’t happen again” was an issue for the Scottish FA.

But he insisted: “They did what they did, they suffered purgatory [and] their titles are tarnished in non-Gers eyes. They are hated.”

Mitchell last year claimed that Brendan Rodgers’ side were on track to win “20 in a row” with “best chief executive in Europe” Peter Lawwell.

Ex-SPL chief calls on '˜Rangers-obsessed' Celtic fans to '˜take the moral high ground'