Celtic chief Peter Lawwell says politicians are scared to help club's ambitious plans over fears of being accused of bias

Celtic chief Peter Lawwell has hit out at politicians for ruining his club’s plans with their negativity.

And he claims some are scared to back the Hoops in case they are accused of Old Firm bias.

Lawwell rapped Glasgow City Council, and said: “We put a masterplan to GCC around eight years ago which included a hotel, a museum, some residential flats and movement of our superstore and ticket office.

“We’d love to make coming to Celtic Park a real event day, like it is at other big European clubs.

“Unfortunately, there’s a reticence to support football and support us here.

“There’s a lot of negativity. When you hear the government talk about football it’s always about strict liability or offensive behaviour. There is never any positivity.

“We, as a club, put so much into the economy and therefore you need support, you need partnership. There has been no sense of partnership from anybody. It has always been negative.

“I’d like to see the value of Celtic, the value of football in Scotland, being recognised in terms of the social, cultural and economic benefits it gives the country.

“Football is so important to this country.

“In terms of Glasgow, we’re a very important employer. We create a lot of economic value and that needs to be recognised.”

Lawwell reckons the politicians don’t want to be seen to be helping one half of the Old Firm.

He added: “It’s also about the nature of this city. Over the last five years Rangers have been trying to
re-establish themselves.

“They’ve just been looking at today and tomorrow.

“The difficulty for politicians is to recognise that Celtic is progressive and to help us along the way.

“Because someone is going to say: ‘Well, you’re doing that for Celtic, what are you doing for Rangers?’

“Clearly, it’s politics and there are votes to be had.

“People are very wary of doing it, that is the nature of Glasgow.”