Martin O'Neill fires Celtic pitch invasion reminder at critics as boss makes one thing clear on stadium closure

O'Neill defended Celtic fans' pitch invasions after the Hearts title win, comparing them to Fleetwood's celebration against Arsenal and arguing away fan bans diminish derbies.

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has mounted another defence of the pitch invasions that followed his side's dramatic 3-1 title-clinching win over Hearts last season, when thousands of supporters flooded onto the turf after Callum Osmand's 98th-minute goal.

The SFA has handed both Celtic and Rangers stadium closure punishments for their next home Scottish Cup fixtures following separate pitch invasions — one after the Hearts match and another after Celtic's penalty shootout victory over Rangers in the Scottish Cup. Celtic's appeal of the sanction was rejected, and the club released a statement accusing the SFA of drawing a "false equivalence" between the two incidents.

When asked if the punishment would deter future pitch invasions, O'Neill compared the scenes to Fleetwood Town's celebration after stunning Premier League champions Arsenal in the Carabao Cup, arguing that pitch invasions are a natural part of football's greatest moments. He also reiterated his long-standing position that away fan bans for derbies diminish the spectacle, though he acknowledged the ruling is beyond his control.