DUNDEE United today released a scathing statement claiming Celtic refused to accept lowered prices for the upcoming Scottish Cup quarter-final clash.

United take on Celtic in the quarter-final of the competition on Monday, March 14, and were hopeful of a lowered entry fee to encourage an increased uptake in ticket sales.

However, club chiefs claim in a statement on the Dundee United website that Celtic were not willing to agree to a price any lower than £27 for an adult ticket.

The United correspondence goes on to reveal "continued efforts" to reach an agreement on cut-price tickets but states they were reminded prices would default to standard £30 prices if the clubs couldn't agree on lowered prices.

The statement reads: "To encourage as many United fans as possible to attend a first home Scottish Cup tie in over two years, we contacted Celtic shortly after the draw was made and advised that we would be keeping the Carling West Stand for home support.

"Despite any potential financial shortfall, we felt this was the correct decision from a footballing perspective for this one-off cup tie. and would give us the best possible opportunity to reach the semi-final.

"Very early on in discussions between the Clubs thereafter on ticket prices, Celtic advised us of the view that they were looking for a price point similar to an SPFL league match between the clubs (£30 adults).

"Celtic confirmed that they would be willing to agree an adult price of no lower than £27 and accept the concession prices of £15 and £10 and reiterated that they would sell their allocation out at this price. Despite our continued efforts to convince them to drop this price further, we were reminded that failure to agree would result in the price being set at normal prices (i.e. £30 for adults).

"We are aware of the social media energy around pricing for the cup tie and while we wish we could have agreed a further reduced price with Celtic, these prices remain below SPFL league matches and are comparable to the prices for our trip to Pittodrie this weekend.

"We fully appreciate the support that our fans have shown us during this season (and always) and we hope our decision to have United fans in three stands for this tie is vindicated by an enhanced home support. This remains a fantastic opportunity for the Club to reach Hampden and a Scottish cup semi-final and together we can dream of further glory."