I MEANT NO OFFENCE BY TITLE TIPPLE WITH ROBBIE

TONY ASGHAR has apologised after being bombarded by complaints over his flaunting of Dundee United’s title celebrations during lockdown.

The Tannadice sporting director fielded a stream of online protests in response to posting a picture of himself and head coach Robbie Neilson toasting the club’s triumph outdoors (left) near to their respective homes.

Runaway leaders United were crowned winners of the Championship by the belated vote of neighbours Dundee on Wednesday night.

In line with social-distancing measures, Asghar and Neilson were shown keeping two metres apart in the image taken outside Garscube Sports Complex in Glasgow’s west end.

But the fact they met up and enjoyed a celebratory drink was branded ‘unacceptable’, ‘embarrassing’ and ‘inappropriate’ by angry supporters of rival clubs, including Rangers.

Asghar stressed that his efforts to mark the occasion were not intended to be disrespectful while the country remains in the grip of the coronavirus health crisis.

‘I normally do my walk down in a park near me and so does the gaffer, sometimes we bump into each other,’ said Asghar.

‘We got the result through. Robbie said he’d be round there at that time, too. He had a beer, I had a beer and that was us.

‘There was no disrespect meant to anybody who is working right now. We are conscious of what is happening. We certainly take this seriously and also the government guidelines.

‘The tweet was taken down but at no point were we doing it to try and break any form of guidelines.

‘If there was any offence taken, then I apologise but it certainly wasn’t meant to rub other people’s noses in it as some on social media have said.’

United players and staff later hooked up on Zoom to celebrate.

Championship rivals Partick Thistle, who had nine games to play including one in hand, were relegated along with Hearts and Stranraer from their respective leagues as measures to end the Scottish league season were ushered through by the controversial ballot.

Asghar added: ‘Robbie has worked at Hearts, people at United have affiliations with other clubs, too. It wasn’t the best that others had to be penalised for something outwith their control.

‘Partick are the local club where I live, they are good people, they don’t deserve to be where they are right now because, as with Hearts, there was an opportunity to get out of relegation. I have real sympathy for the clubs penalised.’