Thousands of Celtic fans travelled to Seville

While sentencing Alan Cloughley to community service, Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill QC said the forged tickets were of a convincingly high standard.

She remarked that Cloughley, who sold each ticket for �5, could have got more than 10 times that amount.

The 23-year-old economics graduate was caught by police at his Glasgow home just days before the game.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Cloughley produced and sold hundreds of fake tickets for Celtic's Uefa Cup Final clash with FC Porto, which the Scottish side lost.

He was caught by police at his Glasgow home just days before the game.

He claimed he copied and sold the briefs for �5 each to help Celtic fans desperate not to miss out on the club's first European final in 33 years.

He appeared for sentence on Friday having earlier admitted two breaches of the Trade Marks Act.

If that were me I would want to sell (the tickets) for �60 Sheriff Deirdre MacNeill

Sheriff MacNeill said it had been a "sophisticated and well planned operation".

"This is a serious offence. What was produced was a quite sophisticated ticket which would, I think, have led the average person to think they had a ticket for what was quite an important match," she said.

"I find it extraordinary that you would go to the extent of purchasing equipment to copy the holograms, paying hundreds of pounds in this enterprise and then sell these tickets, which would take an expert eye to know they were not real tickets, to sell them for a couple of pounds.

"If that were me I would want to sell for �60."

The court heard that people who bought tickets from Cloughley were aware that they were fakes.

Cut-price tickets

Sheriff MacNeill said the seriousness of the offence warranted a prison sentence, but she was prepared to order him to do 260 hours of community service.

The court previously heard that police were made aware of supporters buying cut-price tickets days before the final last May.

Officers and Celtic Football Club warned fans against buying them as they attempted to find the source.

At no time did he have the consent of football's governing bodies to reproduce these tickets Gillian Mawdsley Prosecuting

Acting on a tip-off, police raided Cloughley's home and seized 291 tickets and �300 in cash.

He claimed he bought a legitimate ticket and copied it to produce fakes, selling about 100 before being caught.

Cloughley, who works as a nightclub bouncer, carried out the scam using his home computer and specialist printing equipment he purchased over the internet.

Gillian Mawdsley, prosecuting, said: "His actions provided a security nightmare for those involved in the planning of such a big occasion.

"At no time did he have the consent of football's governing bodies to reproduce these tickets."

Printing additional tickets raises serious issues regarding crowd control Celtic spokesman

John Gildea, defending, said: "This man had the Serious Crime Squad descending on his home and having the premises turned upside down - it was a humiliating experience."

A Celtic spokesman said: "In terms of safety, we view this offence very seriously.

"Clearly such actions of printing additional tickets raises serious issues regarding crowd control. The safety of supporters at matches is always our prime concern."

The case is thought to be the first successful conviction of its kind against a counterfeiter in Scotland.