Rangers owner Craig Whyte has responded to comments made by Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell late in the summer transfer window.
Following reports that 'Gers had knocked back a £9million bid for striker Nikica Jelavic, the Hoops chief came out and made a jibe at the Glasgow rivals, saying: "Last night we got a £29m offer for Gary Hooper, from an unknown agent, from an unknown club, from another universe."
Last night, however, Whyte hit back at Celtic saying he thought they would have had more dignity than to make the kind of remarks as Lawwell did.
"I like to think I would be more dignified than to make jokes about what's happening on the other side of town and maybe they should be too," he told SunSport.
"It was the timing of it which was bad. Had a bid come in earlier in the transfer window - allowing us time to go and bring a replacement in - then it might have been a different decision.
"The fact it came so late, on the last day when there was no chance of bringing someone else in, made it a non-starter.
"It's not an area where the manager has lots of players.
"That's why it would have been impossible to do it. Clearly if we get high bids in for players we'll look at them.
"If we've got a business decision to make then we'll make it.
"The reaction to the Jelavic bid showed me we can't do anything right in some people's eyes. Even something positive - like us keeping one of our best players - was turned into a negative. All we can do is get on with running the club and make the decisions we need to make.
"Maybe then we'll be judged in the long term.
"There will be some short term decisions which will be difficult, but over the long term I believe we'll come out stronger."
