Martin O’Neill Stands Firm on Celtic Pitch Invasion as Hearts Return to Parkhead

Martin O’Neill has once again defended Celtic’s controversial title-winning pitch invasion, insisting he would have understood if Hearts supporters had done the same after winning the league.

The Celtic manager faced widespread criticism in May after backing the supporters who flooded onto the pitch following Callum Osmand’s dramatic 98th-minute goal in the final-day Premiership decider.

The celebrations followed a remarkable conclusion to the title race, but the scenes also attracted controversy as disappointed Hearts players were taunted by sections of the home support.

Hearts officials subsequently condemned the incident, claiming the disorder had brought Scottish football into disrepute.

However, O’Neill has refused to reconsider his position, maintaining that the reaction to the celebrations was excessive and that Celtic’s achievement should not be overshadowed by the events after the final whistle.

Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, the Northern Irishman described the title triumph as one of the finest moments of his managerial career.

He said: “I think it was one of the great days. Listen, whatever happens this year, you can’t take that away.

“It was fantastic and to me it was up there with any moment in my managerial time.”

O’Neill also rejected suggestions that the pitch invasion had diminished the significance of Celtic securing their fifth consecutive league title.

The veteran boss pointed to comments from Rangers manager Derek McInnes, who had reportedly given referee Don Robertson permission to end the match amid the celebrations.

O’Neill insisted the pitch was cleared quickly, despite claims that it took around 30 minutes for order to be restored.

He added that he would be surprised if such emotional scenes never occurred again in football, given the significance supporters attach to historic victories.

O’Neill has no regrets over defending Celtic supporters

Despite the criticism that followed his original comments, O’Neill has made it clear that he has no intention of apologising for his stance.

The 74-year-old believes the celebrations must be considered in the context of the occasion, rather than viewed solely through the controversy that followed.

Asked whether he regretted defending the supporters, he responded: “I don’t care. I couldn’t care less. I think I say too much at the end of the day.

“But absolutely not.”

O’Neill went further by explaining that his position would have remained the same had the result gone against Celtic and Hearts supporters had invaded the pitch to celebrate a historic championship victory.

He acknowledged that losing the title at home would have been painful for Celtic, but said he would still have understood the emotions of the opposing fans.

“If Hearts had won and their away fans had come onto the pitch – I’m telling you now, and it’s easy for me to say this – I would have accepted that there because it’s the first time they would have won the league for years and years and years,” he said.

O’Neill continued: “And would we have been disappointed? Absolutely, to lose on your own pitch as well. All of those things.

“But if you take the bigger picture at the end of the day, if they had won – and they were very, very close to doing it – and their crowd had come on to celebrate with their players that is something I would have accepted.”

The Celtic boss revealed that he has not discussed the controversy with McInnes since the dramatic conclusion to the title race. Their subsequent meetings have come during matches involving their respective teams.

Celtic prepare for Hearts test after Benfica setback

O’Neill’s latest comments come ahead of Hearts’ return to Celtic Park, with the visitors looking to respond to their painful defeat on the final day of last season.

Under new manager Wouter Vrancken, Hearts have the opportunity to reduce the gap to the Premiership leaders to two points with a victory in Glasgow.

Celtic, meanwhile, must respond after Thursday’s disappointing 4-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica in Lisbon.

The Hoops conceded three times in the first half, leaving themselves with a mountain to climb. However, O’Neill took encouragement from his players’ improved performance after the break.

Despite having no points from their opening two European fixtures, the Celtic manager remains convinced his team can still progress to the knockout stages if they deliver results in their remaining home matches.

“It was always going to be a difficult game. We could have crumbled and we didn’t. I take encouragement from that,” he said.

“I really do, genuinely, from the way the side played in the second half. It was more like us.”

O’Neill also addressed concerns surrounding striker Kasper Høgh, whose goal drought has extended to 13 matches for club and country.

The £11million signing came close to scoring against Benfica but was denied by the woodwork, prolonging a frustrating spell in front of goal.

Despite the mounting pressure on the forward, O’Neill has backed him to rediscover his scoring touch.

The Celtic manager acknowledged that goals are crucial for strikers and admitted that finding the net would provide Høgh with a significant confidence boost.

However, he remains optimistic about the Danish forward’s long-term prospects, insisting that he expects the striker to come good over the course of the season.

With Hearts arriving at Celtic Park amid growing scrutiny of the Hoops, O’Neill now faces the challenge of turning his side’s fortunes around on the pitch while continuing to defend the celebrations that defined Celtic’s dramatic title triumph.