Celtic fined £42,000 for fan invasion

No appeal over cash hit

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FOCUSED: Gary Caldwell says Parkhead troops will not be complacent.

CELTIC have accepted a UEFA fine of £42,430 imposed after a fan ran on to the pitch during the Champions League Group E match against Manchester United at Parkhead.

The supporter, who admitted charges of breaching the peace and drunkenness at Glasgow Sheriff Court the day after last Wednesday’s 1-1 draw, ran on to the field in the first half, causing play to be halted briefly.

Part of the fine imposed was for the late start to the game.

UEFA confirmed “an appeal may be lodged within three days of receipt of the grounds for the decision” but a spokesman for Celtic said: “We accept the judgement and there will be no appeal.”

Meanwhile, Hoops defender Gary Caldwell insists no heed is being taken of Rangers’ growing struggle to keep in the race for the Premier League title.

A 3-0 win over Kilmarnock at Parkhead stretched the champions’ lead over their arch rivals at the top of the SPL to four points after the Light Blues could only draw a blank at Motherwell on the same night.

Victory for Rangers over St Mirren at Ibrox tomorrow would cut the deficit to one point ahead of Celtic’s visit to Hamilton on Sunday.

But Caldwell is concentrating only on what his side do in the coming weeks.

“It wasn’t really a boost that Rangers dropped points against Motherwell,” the Scotland defender said.

“It’s a boost that we kept a great run going and winning nine games on the spin since our Rangers defeat has shown the character and belief that we all have got at the club.

“We want to keep that run going and what Rangers do doesn’t really affect us.

“Losing to Rangers was a massive blow at the time.

“The 4-2 scoreline and the way we lost the game was disappointing but, when we looked back at it, there was still a lot that we were doing right.

“The goals that Rangers scored came at a good time for them and it affected the game in a way that wasn’t really fair.”

Caldwell will be looking for more joy against Hamilton, whose boss Billy Reid insists his side do not look out of place in the SPL despite a winless run now stretching to eight matches.

Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at Hearts was the club’s seventh in that run and left them rooted to the foot of the table.

But Reid refuses to be depressed.

He said: “We’re a young side. I think some of the young players are developing tremendously in the SPL and we certainly don’t look out of place.”