A FORMER head teacher of a school affiliated with Celtic FC was fined after fraudulently obtaining more than £1,000 for season tickets.

Anthony Russell was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court for using public funds to buy two season tickets for Celtic games for the 2012/13 season and four season tickets for the 2013/14 season.

The values paid by Glasgow City Council were £264 and £775 respectively - coming to a total of £1,039.

But it was not until February 2015 that an internal audit in to the learning centre revealed the misuse of public funds to buy tickets for the stadium’s main stand.

It found that some of the tickets bought using the funds were under two of the 57-year-old’s sons names.

Russell, of Belmont Drive, Giffnock, was the principal teacher of the Glasgow Celtic Football Club Learning Centre at the time when the purchases were made.

As part of the programme pupils are given the opportunity to attend home matches accompanied by an adult or guardian.

A total of 26 match day tickets were given free of charge to the learning centre and 22 season tickets were bought by the council from Celtic at a subsidised rate.

The court heard that Russell had paid back the amount in full.

He also resigned from his job.

Russell admitted that between August 1 2012 and May 31 2014 at Celtic Football Club Learning Centre, Kerrydale Street, and City Chambers, George Square, he obtained £1,039 by fraud from his employer, Glasgow City Council, by pretending that the season tickets for Celtic games were for the school when in fact they were for his personal use.

His defending advocate solicitor said this was a “considerable fall from grace” for Mr Russell.

“He has no previous convictions and was a teacher for a number of years before this came to light.

“Such is the irony of this, he has come to this court having worked to divert many others to a better path in times gone by,” added the defending advocate solicitor

“He has described this to me as the biggest mistake of his life.”

The sentencing sheriff ordered Russell to pay a fine of £500 to be paid within 28 days from his sentencing date.