Raging Celtic fans hurl tennis balls and oranges onto the pitch as they delay start of game at Dundee with furious protest against the board

Celtic fans voiced a fierce protest against their club's owners - by throwing tennis balls and oranges onto the pitch.

The Scottish champions were forced to endure a three-minute delay to the start of their match away at Dundee on Sunday as irate followers made their case.

Hoops fans have been angry with their owners in recent months after a lack of spending in the summer window and a failure to reach the Champions League league phase. 

And just after kick-off at Dens Park, travelling fans lobbed bouncy balls, tennis balls, and oranges into the penalty area, causing players from both teams to start a clean-up job. Hundreds of little projectiles had made their way onto the turf.

A banner in the Bob Shankly Stand read: 'Your incompetence is clear. Resign.' Another simply said: 'Sack the board.'

One had the faces of chairman Peter Lawwell, CEO Michael Nicholson, major shaeholder Dermot Desmond, and CFO Chris McKay plastered across it, crossed out. 

That might have been awkward viewing for Nicholson and McKay, who were both attending. 

Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel tried to get the fans to calm down, but to no avail, and soon the likes of Callum McGregor and Cameron Carter-Vickers had to come over to help clean up.

Sky Sports commentator James McFadden said: 'I don’t think this will be the last protest we see from the Celtic fans.

'I think you can safely say, point made. 

It’s going to take a while to get all those balls of the pitch. The players just want to get on with the game.'

Recently, the Celtic Fans Collective encouraged supporters to boycott buying, merchandise food, or drinks at Parkhead. 

Announcing their 'Not Another Penny' campaign, the group wrote: 'For too long, the Celtic board has taken supporters for granted. 

'They are responsible for repeated failures in Europe, an archaic transfer strategy, a collection of NEDs who have grossly out-stayed their welcome, inflated ticket prices and unfair distribution, a neglected stadium, a stale atmosphere, a non-existent fan engagement model, an underperforming academy, an underfunded Women‘s team, and a pitch unfit for playing football the Celtic way.

'These are just some of the failures which expose an out-of-touch board and make a mockery of their claim to be “world class in everything we do".'

In September, supporters staged a late entry to their match away at Kilmarnock.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said at the time: 'You can't tell anyone how to feel.

'If you're bringing your kids and you want them to be in the stands for the start of the game, then supporters are within their rights.

'We're keen to make the football united and the spirit of the team. The fans and the board and the situation, I fully understand it and the frustration.'