CELTIC have hit back after claims they refused Scottish Cup ticket pricing pleas from Dundee United.

United had claimed Celtic were insistent prices would be no lower than £27 for an adult ticket for the upcoming Scottish Cup quarter-final at Tannadice.

But a Celtic statement states prices were a "matter of agreement between both clubs".

Tannadice chiefs had been seeking to lower prices for tickets in a bid to encourage more fans to attend the fixture next month. But they claimed Celtic wouldn't budge any lower than the £27 price set.

The club also revealed they would take both stands behind the goals which leads to a cut in the away allocation - Celtic shared "disappointment" at the decision.

A Celtic statement reported by The Scottish Sun read: "The prices set were a matter of agreement between both clubs. 

“Clearly from our perspective we are hugely disappointed to be informed that our allocation for this match relative to our previous visits to Tannadice, which we regularly sell out, has been reduced by around 2000.”

The previous Dundee United statement read:  "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."