Those scenes when Callum Osmand put the ball into the back of the net against Hearts will be remembered for a very long time by Celtic fans.
Celtic fans streamed onto the pitch to celebrate, with the on-field referee, Don Robertson, then blowing for the full-time whistle.
Not only have critics questioned if Robertson blew the full-time whistle, which has been confirmed by the SPFL, but Celtic fans have been slammed for running onto the pitch to celebrate.
Jim White called it ‘a lack of class’ when he was talking with Martin O’Neill on talkSPORT on Monday morning, but the Celtic icon wasn’t having any of it.
White: “A debate as to whether the referee actually blew the final whistle. There is a suggestion still, no doubt, and every news bulletin you look, the pictures are there. Celtic fans on the pitch, some of them confronting Hearts players.
“There is a suggestion that this shows a lack of class. That’s its tainted, the image.”
O’Neill: “I am sorry, Jim. I totally disagree with that. I totally disagree with that. I don’t know about the confrontations in terms of the Hearts players. There was a lot of hyperbole about that. Let’s find out the real picture.”
White: “Hang on a second, Martin. Hearts called it ‘an embarrassment to Scottish football.’ Do you agree that it was?”
O’Neill: “As they might do. Well, I don’t believe that. I just don’t believe it. I think it’s nonsense.”
Share us your message to Martin O’Neill, as Celtic down Hearts on the final day…
Martin O’Neill defends Celtic fans running onto the pitch to celebrate the title v Hearts
For most of the season, Celtic fans probably questioned if they would win the title, especially when Wilfried Nancy was in charge.
There was a strong reason to doubt; Celtic’s cancelled AGM back in November, which O’Neill was at, proved the complete and utter disconnect inside the club.
In truth, the supporters’ grievance with the board is still there.
But as soon as the post-split fixtures hit, and Celtic’s win over Falkirk proved it, there was a different feeling around the club.
The dark clouds were gone, the sunshine was belting down on paradise, and that moment after the Osmand goal went in was the supporters letting out their frustrations and expressing their joy.
It’s probably why O’Neill lost patience with White, who was constantly nibbling at the Irishman to say something negative about the Celtic Park faithful.
White: “The way it ended, so you guys won it, and it was sensational. But the way it ended, some Celtic fans were on the pitch.
“A debate as to whether the referee actually blew the final whistle. There is a suggestion still, no doubt, and every news bulletin you look, the pictures are there. Celtic fans on the pitch, some of them confronting Hearts players.
“There is a suggestion that this shows a lack of class. That’s its tainted, the image.”
O’Neill: “I am sorry, Jim. I totally disagree with that. I totally disagree with that. I don’t know about the confrontations in terms of the Hearts players. There was a lot of hyperbole about that. Let’s find out the real picture.
“The fact is that when we scored the third goal, the game was essentially over. There were eight seconds left, perhaps in the game, or whatever, maybe. The referee has claimed that he had blown the whistle at the end of it.
“There is obvious excitement. We have scored to win the league.”
White: “Yeah, but they shouldn’t come onto the pitch, Martin. Should they?”
O’Neill: “Well, start telling that to every single football club, and then we will hold it.”
White: “Hang on a second, Martin. Hearts called it ‘an embarrassment to Scottish football.’ Do you agree that it was?”
O’Neill: “As they might do. Well, I don’t believe that. I just don’t believe it. I think it’s nonsense.”
White: “How is it nonsense when some Celtic fans are confronting Hearts players?”
O’Neill: “I assumed that the final whistle had gone, at exactly the same moment as we put the ball in the net for the third goal. It’s a home game, and we have just won the league. The fans have just come onto the field. Alright, okay, so they should stay put?!”
White: “At the end of the day, Martin. I can’t let this go. It seems that in certain quarters, within the stadium, all discipline was lost. Some fans, it was a free-for-all.”
O’Neill: “What do you mean by ‘a free-for-all’.’ How do you know?”
White: “If you fancied going onto the pitch, you could go onto the pitch.”
O’Neill: “Was there not a scene at Ibrox, where both sets of fans come onto the pitch?”
White: “We called that out as well.”
O’Neill: “Okay, alright. Well done, well done. I will tell you what I will do. Let me have a look at the picture. Let me have a look as if I were the judge and jury of these particular things. Let me see the scenes at the end of the day, and then I will come back to you. Okay?!”
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