Simon Jordan backs Celtic bans and tells supporters they are ‘guests’ at Parkhead

The talkSPORT pundit has joined a growing list of prominent figures condemning the demonstrators who threw tennis balls towards Celtic’s principal shareholder at St Andrews over the weekend.

The incident prompted a furious response from Celtic, with the club threatening indefinite bans for those responsible as tensions between supporters and the Parkhead hierarchy reached another boiling point.

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist had already branded those involved “numpties” and “daft wee boys”, and Jordan has now backed the club’s stance.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Crystal Palace chairman argued that Celtic had allowed sections of their support too much freedom.

He said: “They’ve tolerated certain aspects of their fanbase, whether it be the Green Brigade or, in Rangers’ case, the Union Bears. They’ve allowed these fans to get into a situation where they think they can do as they please.

“So now they’re going to develop a set of balls on the back of some tennis balls being thrown at Dermot Desmond. Ironic. Look, I don’t like it. I think they’re absolutely within their rights to ban them.”

However, Jordan went further by questioning the relationship between football clubs and their supporters, insisting that fans are effectively guests inside their own stadiums.

He said: “They’re guests in the stadium.

“It’s not their stadium. Whether they like it or not. And whether they feel that they own a football club because the spirit of the football club sits with the supporters, they’re still allowed in there.

“They’re guests in the stadium.

“Well, they are paying guests, but they are at the discretion of the football club. And the football club can immediately remove that discretion if they so choose to.”