Peter Lawwell told his Celtic AGM comments have left SPFL rivals laughing

Peter Lawwell's Celtic finances admission will have the rest of the SPFL "chuckling" according to one boss.

The Premiership champions held their AGM on Wednesday. One of the talking points going in and out of it was Brendan Rodgers' side and their ability to fight in the Champions League. Both Lawwell and the gaffer insisted they had competed this term despite finding themselves with one point from four games in a group with Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord.

Admissions of the financial gap widening at Europe's top table from the Celtic chairman have raised the eyebrows of Clyde boss Ian McCall, who insists the other 41 professional clubs will be laughing over a case of tables turning on the continent. He told BBC: "I don't think it is (just down to finances for Celtic in the Champions League), I genuinely don't think it is. I mean, if the difference in finance is like our Scottish Premiership – like a Motherwell going to Celtic Park – that difference in finance is just huge, utterly huge.

"I don't think it excuses Celtic from competing against certain clubs. You get to the last eight and I think most people will give you 10 clubs that will be in the last eight of the Champions League – that's pretty easy to predict now.

"But certainly from the group stage against the likes of Feyenoord – you saw what Copenhagen did against Manchester United – you should certainly be able to compete at that level. I think the argument is, if Celtic are more financially equipped to play in the Europa League and win it compared to the Champions League, that's a no-brainer - of course it is.

"But if the Celtic fans want Brendan and Peter Lawwell to go and splash £15million-25m on a player then as you know, that won't happen. But you're