No windfall for SPL clubs as Celtic advance

CLYDESDALE Bank Premier League clubs will not receive an added windfall from Celtic’s progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Some clubs expected the SPL to receive an extra £1million in “solidarity” payments after Celtic beat Spartak Moscow to reach the knockout stage but the league confirmed yesterday that was not the case. The SPL’s solidarity payments rose from £500,000 to £1.5million when Celtic got to the group stage but that is as far as it will go.

The money will be distributed equally among the other 11 clubs but will not be paid until next summer, possibly as late as September. Celtic’s success was welcomed by SPL managers, though, as a boost to the game, if not financially.

Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels, whose team face Celtic on Saturday, said: “I’m delighted that they’ve made it and hopefully the country will get behind them.

“We should be accommodating our European representatives a bit more. Celtic played last night and they have to play at lunchtime on Saturday. I don’t think that’s fair. It puts a bit of an advantage our way.”

Hearts manager John McGlynn added: “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to Neil Lennon and his players. They’ve come through a lot and it’s great for Scottish football. It helps the co-efficient and it can only be good for Scottish football.”