Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has again defended the pitch invasions by the club's supporters, this time while responding to the Scottish FA's decision to close the stadium for the next home Scottish Cup fixture. The sanction follows the chaotic scenes after Celtic's title-clinching win over Hearts and a separate incident after a Scottish Cup victory against Rangers.
O'Neill, speaking to Sky Sports, expressed agreement with the club's official statement, which accused Hampden chiefs of drawing a "false equivalence" with Rangers. He also reiterated his long-standing criticism of the decision to lock out away fans for derby matches.
O'Neill Backs Club Statement on SFA Sanction
Asked about the SFA's ruling on an appeal, O'Neill said: "My thoughts would be, the football club put out a statement and I would be in agreement with that statement." He added that Celtic and Rangers matches are "massive" globally, and that "something lost when the away fans don't travel to the games."
The 74-year-old acknowledged the rule is out of his control, stating: "If that is the rules now and that's the way it is going to be, then that is the way it's going to be." He noted that if no away fans are present "for the next X amount of years," it is "certainly out of my control and if the authorities think that is the best thing to do then that's fine."
Pitch Invasion Compared to Fleetwood
O'Neill revisited the debate over last season's league finale, when thousands of Celtic fans invaded the pitch at Celtic Park following Callum Osmand's 98th-minute goal in a 3-1 win over Hearts. He compared the scenes to the pitch invasion that followed English League Two side Fleetwood Town's upset victory over Premier League champions Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.
Asked if the punishment acts as a deterrent to fans entering the pitch, O'Neill said: "Yes, well that is true, but if you are talking about the back end of last season when our crowd invaded the pitch at the end of it all, I did say that I think that is not the last time that will ever be done and unbelievably it was done at Fleetwood, and everybody thought this was just one of the greatest moments in Fleetwood's lives - which it was, as well."
He added: "And remarkably, I am not a soothsayer, but I knew there would be another pitch invasion before I departed this earth."
The SFA has issued both Celtic and Rangers with a stadium closure punishment that will take effect when each club next plays a home Scottish Cup fixture. The sanction follows the pitch invasion after Celtic's Scottish Cup win over Rangers, when police and stewards intervened to prevent violent scenes from escalating.
