DEREK McINNES has called for a far-reaching investigation into sectarianism among Scottish football fans but says it is crucial that Police Scotland and the sport’s governing bodies are not selective in their inquiries.

The Aberdeen manager, reacting to news that the police are examining reports of sectarian chanting directed at Rangers manager Steven Gerrard by Aberdeen fans during the Dons’ 2-0 Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Ibrox on Tuesday, said he condemned the actions, but urged Police Scotland not to pick and choose which clubs are targeted.

The Aberdeen fans were heard singing a version of Daydream Believer, which contained the line “sad Orange b*****d” at Gerrard.

But, as McInnes prepared his team for the visit of Livingston today, he said: “I have got to condemn any abusive chanting whether it’s sectarianism, racism or whatever but there has to be across the board condemnation.

“It’s disappointing that we are talking about that as the fallout from the game and not the result which was so positive for us as a club. But there can’t be selective reporting on this, there can’t be selective condemnation of it, there can’t be selective investigation from Police Scotland or whoever whenever they decide to pick and choose. It’s got to be all inclusive across the board whenever there are any sectarian chants and there has to be the same approach to every case.”

McInnes is no stranger to being a target of abuse, picking out the Betfred League Cup final last December when his side lost to Celtic. The defeat was bad enough, he recalled, but the sectarian singing aimed at him was unpleasant, though having been born and raised in Paisley, it was water off a duck’s back.

“When Celtic were celebrating, the song that was sung is seen as a sort of mocking song,” he said. “It was directed at me from what felt like the whole of the Celtic end. It wouldn’t have been everybody, but it was pretty close to it I would imagine and not one person reported it. It wasn’t in the delegate’s report and Police Scotland never made an investigation into it then.

“So it’s the same song sung by a lot more [than the numbers singing it at Gerrard]. It was more audible, but nobody reported it, nobody saw it as important enough. There has to be consistency. We can’t pick and choose.

"It's not exclusive to one support and certainly not exclusive to our support, but that day it was clearly heard by me and my family but I need to stress there was no offence taken.

"It's disappointing that people are now deciding to pick and choose when investigations should be held when all of a sudden people are offended by it.”

Meanwhile, McInnes revealed that while 18-goal striker Sam Cosgrove will return from suspension today, Gary Mackay Steven could miss the Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Celtic next month. The former Celtic attacker has been struggling with an ankle injury and has been instructed to wear a non-weight bearing boot.