“Well, start telling that to every single football club.”
That was Martin O’Neill’s defiant response when asked if Celtic fans should be condemned for invading the pitch after winning the Premiership title .
The 74-year-old Celtic boss is NOT apologizing. He’s NOT backing down. And his brutal response has Hearts absolutely FURIOUS.
What O’Neill actually said.
When host Jim White suggested the pitch invasion had damaged Scottish football’s image, O’Neill fired back immediately:
“I’m sorry, I totally disagree with that. There’s a lot of hyperbole about that. Let’s find out the real picture.”
When White pressed that supporters shouldn’t come on the pitch, O’Neill dropped the line that’s now going viral across social media:
“Well, start telling that to every single football club.”
The “skulduggery” claim.
But O’Neill didn’t stop there. In another interview, he dropped an even bigger bombshell — claiming everyone outside Celtic Park wanted Hearts to win.
“There was just an incredible anti-feeling about us winning it. The story became about fans coming onto the pitch as if it’s never happened before — and just downright skulduggery on our part to take the win away from Hearts.”
Hearts’ fury.
Hearts chairman Tony Bloom has made an even more serious claim — that players were ASSAULTED during the pitch invasion.
O’Neill’s response? He called it “nonsense” and doubled down on his position.
What’s next.
Celtic face Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final on Saturday. A sixth domestic treble is on the line. O’Neill’s contract expires on May 31 — this could be his last game as Celtic boss.
The war of words with Hearts isn’t over. Police are still investigating. But O’Neill? He’s already focused on the next trophy.
