Celtic stung by bonus dispute

Fergus McCann, the Celtic chairman, and the club's manager, Tommy Burns, put on a brave face yesterday as an embarrassing internal row over bonus payments rumbled on.

After the 1-0 Coca-Cola Cup quarter-final defeat by Hearts on Tuesday, Burns confirmed that leading Celtic players are in dispute over pay.

But as Burns and McCann carried out an internal inquiry into how the story was leaked, the Scotttish-Canadian chairman was in no mood to bow to player power.

"The club would make the point, and a valid one which I think the players would probably agree with, that they are not only well-paid but also very well taken care of here and that will continue," McCann said.

"We don't have to apologise to anybody for conditions players enjoy here at Celtic Park. I am sure that is the feeling among the players as a whole."

"There is nobody more disappointed than the players themselves that this has come out in a newspaper," Burns said, although it seems certain that the story was leaked by a player.

"This is something which will be settled internally and settled today. I've met the players and it is not a major issue.

"The players that play for Celtic don't have to rely on bonuses. They are incentives which the club decides to give.

"The players are bitterly disappointed that we lost to Hearts and that they let the supporters down by this coming out. It was an internal matter which was leaked.

"But we won't go down the road of a witch-hunt. Things are said every day at either of the Old Firm clubs which could make a headline."

Reports on the dispute centre on bonuses for unused substitutes with the sanctions by the Celtic players allegedly including a refusal to speak to the club newspaper or programme, or help in commercial activities.

McCann hinted strongly that despite the assurances of Burns that there would be no witch-hunt, the source of the story would be sought.

"I don't know where the source is, but we will deal with it internally," McCann said.

Hearts, meanwhile, will face Scottish football officials on 14 October to discuss their recent game against Rangers at Ibrox. The Tynecastle club had four players sent off in last Saturday's 3-0 defeat by Rangers.

Referee Gerry Evans' report on the match arrived yesterday at the Scottish Football Association's offices in Glasgow and the upshot is that Hearts will be asked to explain the actions of their players and their chairman, Chris Robinson, who appeared on the track at one stage.

Hearts have already been in contact with the SFA with Robinson trying to explain his presence on the touchline.

The four sent off - Pasquale Bruno, David Weir, Neil Pointon and Paul Ritchie - have not yet been asked to appear in person before the disciplinary committee, but SFA procedure means that could still happen at a later date.

Dundee were yesterday handed a sharp reminder of where their priorities for the season really lie. The Taysiders stormed through to the Coca-Cola Cup semi-finals for the second year in succession with a sensational 2- 1 win over Aberdeen at Dens Park on Tuesday night.

It was a sweet revenge win over the club which beat them in last season's Hampden final and also gave them their fourth success over top-flight opposition in the tournament in little over a year.

The Dons followed Dundee United (in the previous round) and Hearts and Kilmarnock last season on to the First Division club's list of scalps.

But John McCormack, the Dens Park assistant manager, warned: "The real interest here isn't just in grabbing the headlines by beating the big- name sides occasionally in cup competitions. We are well aware that our supporters have missed out on the Premier Division for far too long.

"We want to be meeting those top teams on a weekly basis by competing at the highest level. Promotion requires a consistent level of performance and that is what we are striving to achieve throughout this season."