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Celtic fans back their club financially more than most English and Scottish clubs according to new figures.

Figures released by University of Liverpool Finance lecturer Kieran Maguire show the importance of TV money to smaller English clubs’ towering finances.

Compared to clubs in the UK, Celtic come 20th out of the top 50 in revenue with £90 million.

This puts Celtic below clubs like Middlesbrough, Watford and Swansea.

However, when it comes to money coming in by the fans, Celtic are in eighth place.

How other clubs fare

Compared to other Scottish teams, Rangers are 30th in the revenue table and Aberdeen are 41st.

With fan money, Rangers are 18th in the table and Aberdeen are a languishing 36th.

It’s also mentionable that clubs such as Newcastle and Leeds United climb up that table too.

Researcher Maguire also revealed that the sales of Moussa Dembele and Erik Sviatchenko brought £20 million to the club.

Sales of the two men helped ease the shortfall for Celtic’s failure to reach this season’s Champions League.

Is Lawwell worth his major wage rise?

One of the most damning statistics revealed by Maguire was Peter Lawwell’s 14 year income since becoming CEO.

Lawwell has raked in over £11.3 million since taking the job in June 2004.

He also has earned a massive wage rise from £166,000 (2004) to £1.67 million per year.

There has been years where he hasn’t taken his bonus for European failures.

Also discovered were the directors paying themselves £1.6 million and a bonus based scheme.

This includes reaching the Champions League group stages and not going elsewhere.

Champions League key to finances and player quality

Celtic were lucky to get Brendan Rodgers who managed to qualify us to two group stages.

Ultimately it was the directors and Lawwell who were in control of the purse strings that weren’t released to replace quality transfer sales.

Lawwell and the board have survived many calls for them to go, but the pressure has never been higher as it is right now.

This January and next summer’s window is where they must earn their £1.6 million.

Failure to make the Champions League again could mean more quality being sold and the team getting weaker.