It seems incredible that it has been over 20 years since Martin O’Neill left his job as Celtic manager following his wife’s illness. In his five years here, he transformed the club and gave a new generation some of their greatest nights as Celtic fans. He changed history.
Before Martin, Celtic were second favourites, or worse, for over a decade. Since shortly after his arrival in 2000, we have been perpetual favourites, winning more than any other club in world football. His eloquence and enthusiasm inspired much of what you know and love about the club today.
Regrettably, I will not make the game tonight to see the man in person. Does he still jump at a goal? Football has changed a lot since the time his legend was respected across the Continent, but as the many who have heard him speak over recent years will confirm, his love of the club remains. He will be a sight to behold trackside in a Celtic jacket.
Falkirk started the month getting the point that was enough to see Russell Martin ejected out of Ibrox. This was followed by coming from behind to win at Motherwell, one of only two defeats the Lanarkshire side have experienced this season, before again coming from behind on Saturday to beat Dundee. They are a team who battle ‘til the end.
Celtic caught them cold on League Cup duty in August, winning 4-1. That game was easier than expected, indeed, it was easier than the same game a year earlier, when Falkirk were newly promoted to the Championship. I expect a tougher game tonight.
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The players we have are not suited to a MON line up.
Too light weight.
God knows what he’ll do.
I’ve just seen the headline and nearly fainted at the thought that Russell had been appointed manager.
I am trying to think of any other example where a major company has allowed a shareholder to use its official platforms to totally trash the reputation of an ex employee.
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KINGLUBO on 29th October 2025 4:05 pm
I want us, the real supporters of our club, to restrict ALL income streams to the club , by any means possible. No merchandise, no bovril or pies, cancel TV subs, and watch what happens.
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Any reason your boycott doesn’t include the largest stream of fan income that would actually make a difference to the board?
Martin O’Neill @moneill31
My statement regarding my return to @CelticFC as interim manager.
I have had a deep affinity for Celtic Football Club, effectively since growing up in Northern Ireland.
To be asked to become the manager 25 years ago was one of the proudest moments of my life.
So, when Dermot Desmond called on Monday and asked me to manage the football club again on an interim basis I was delighted to say yes once more.
I look forward to working alongside Shaun Maloney and our immediate focus is preparing the team for an important match against Falkirk this evening.
I am immensely grateful to the club for welcoming me back and to all the kind messages I have already received from the fans. I will give every ounce of energy I have to helping the team win matches for as long as I am in charge.
Hai hail!
Martin
People not renewing ST is the reason we got BR in the first place.
Remember the empty Upper Deck with that banner, ”Celtic. A club like no other,”
It won’t happen today, and the board know it.
I can’t see demonstrations working. A bit of publicity but that’s it.
The SMSM will lap it up.
Everything so far has, IMHO, hurt the team and the board don’t care.
They’re doing the job they’re paid to.
We can only hope that DD’s son has more footballing ambition than his dad.
100% Dermot Desmond called MON on Monday.
Also 100%, Dermot Desmond and MON met a couple of weeks ago in London
0% At the London meeting they didn’t discuss the possibility of Celtic needing an interim manager in a hurry.
Scotland Men’s Under-17s 1-0 England | UEFA Under-17 EURO Qualifying Round One
https://youtu.be/AeFQS1h2A_E?si=FAt_3RkFJG6LOk9E
Two Celtic players in the squad, 5 players from Dundee representing both teams
Good start to the qualifying campaign
https://x.com/HereCelts/status/1983491060895568257?t=bpMYcuyl0PLT0vauQAGvww&s=19
This is what he had until you know who turned up !!!!!!!!!!!
https://x.com/HereCelts/status/1983491060895568257?t=bpMYcuyl0PLT0vauQAGvww&s=19
This is what he had until you know who turned up !!!!!!!!!!!
Any reason your boycott doesn’t include the largest stream of fan income that would actually make a difference to the board?
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i suspect you mean season tickets.
i think most on here know the answer to that without much difficulty.
the only losers in that would be the ones who gave up their season tickets.
other folk would buy them, the plc makes the same money – and the ones who sacrificed would have no season ticket when hopefully their sacrifice brings results.
they lose.
and folk who sacrificed nothing gain a season ticket.
simples.
Will be in the north stand lower tonight
So many variables to consider that could impact on performance tonight
Will Martin go for immediate new personal and tactical set up, his old favourite 3-5-2 for example, this may be to risky to do immediately, so I guess he may stick to Brendaans 4-3-3 but with a change in personnel, certainly the back four will change
No doubt squad members will have been like all of us and been discusing the dramatic events since Monday, and most importantly what it will mean for them personally, some may see new opportunity others may feel this is not for them
As long as Martin gets a win tonight he will be happy not to concerned with the performance
Looking forward to it
COYBIG
aff oot
McGowan saying on PLZ BR asked for a meeting on Monday to point out the club is fractured & it can’t go on like this, there’s too much division & it all needs repaired now & if it can’t best they go separate ways left the meeting they phoned him afterward & said we accept your resignation
Who’s leaking now :O)
The sacrifice wouldn’t be for nothing … if they use the season ticket money to buy shares.
Would also show the strength of the collective
If 500 people don’t renew and use the, say, £300,000, to buy shares … it will barely be noticed and the status quo will remain.
On the other hand … if 10,000 don’t renew .. and £6 million worth of shares are purchased …
I reckon there would be a reaction.
The idea that the coaches went in together to resign but were sacked is so laughable and typical of the shite that rises in such times.
Has Dermot Desmond’s ‘character assassination’ backfired? I The Journos
https://youtu.be/gvAsXkZklVY?si=VuRARbZjGspBh0-i
I am not sure why MO would answer the call to take the helm even for a short period. However I hope he can tonight get a win and steady the ship.
I am disappointed with DD statement it is not what I expect from anyone connected with Celtic.
My issue with the board is simple, a football club cannot and should not ever pile up millions of pounds when the team needs investment. How much do you pile up? £80m, £120m? We are a football club first and foremost.
There were issues here with both the board and BR. We need to recognise this. There will need to be change out with the manager.
Tickets for Huns game out but the Hampden App is gubbed , tickets not showing
https://x.com/PLZSoccer/status/1983564485932486764?t=uFvUvHTocMFxwbQYdoVHJQ&s=19
The team can only suffer from yet another demo tonight, when they need unity and support.
That awkward moment when you realise the clickbait bloggers – kerching – are praying for Celtic to lose tonight and Sunday. If a manager who has been out of football for many years can show we actually have good players, well…
as someone mentioned yesterday – we are a PLC in name only.
we are run more like the pre-fergus celtic than a PLC.
a CEO on an utterly ludicrous 800 grand a year is nothing more than a puppet to a guy who only owns about a third of the shares.
a PLC must have a CEO, so DD installs a puppet CEO on incredulous wages, but when it comes down to it DD makes the major decisions and is the spokesman when he feels like it.
The team can only suffer from yet another demo tonight, when they need unity and support.
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i doubt they will even see it at 7pm.
Demo is outside the stadium
Paul67 et al
Took us a while to get the first goal against Falkirk in the LC game in August, heroics from their goalie, jam packed box, but Maeda got one in the first half and we added three in the second. Both Kenny and Yamada played the latter subbed the former, neither scored but it was not for lack of effort. Dane Murray scored, for us this time. Entertaining game.
Hope for something similar tonight. Good luck to Martin and Shaun!
MontheMonCSC
Thought tickets for Hampden app only appear morning of game .
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 29th October 2025 2:44 pm
Auldheid @ 1:59pm – respect.
IMHO… you never, ever project as bitter.
Class.
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The Res that was submitted was judged by David Low as a mistake as it risked rejection on defamation grounds.
I never thought of that, duh.
What I did think was it provided me bargaining power and in end, the objective, which was for Celtic to take responsibility for pursuing Res12 issues with football authorities away from the shareholders the requisitioners represented, was achieved.
So no need for bitterness.
I believe Celtic met that responsibility when helping UEFA in developing FSR on two fronts.
1. Making the intent of UEFA on the overdue payables rules clearer in the revision of FSR (Res12 directly related)
2. Making the unreliability of the SFA as licensors very clear based on the Res12 solicitor letter sent to UEFA in May 2016 containing a large number of questions suggesting lack of diligence in 2011by SFA.
As result FSR became much more than a check list.
The sustainability bit was something required generally across Europe but it stops non football earnings like ebt or non repayable bank loans being used to strengthen a playing squad which has had an observable impact on our main rivals. MN and CMcK were involved in the development of FSR.
In the fullness of time a totally and more enlightening narrative might emerge in respect of Celtic and events since 2012.
The truth that sets Scottish football free.
I keep hearing that Martin and Shaun are here for the next couple of games. What happens if the search for a new manager drags on? If Martin is still here in Jan, the board may find they have him making similar requests for reinforcements and Martin wasn’t shy about asking for money to be spent. I’m not sure how he would react to be given a 19 year old prospect from Latvia
https://youtu.be/gvAsXkZklVY?si=T7bw-1dGvcsFVBOl
The awkward moment when you need the SMSM to back up your POV.
Wonder who’ll be first to post a link to a Keith Jackson opinion piece.
“ So you’ll be headin ower to the gemm the night then “
THE HUDDLE
You’re right of course, just forgot
kingLUBO
lets all do the huddle on 29th October 2025 4:59 pm
Which is just as bloody well as such a huge drop in football earnings if no take up by others would mean less available to spend on playing squad under the 70% FSR ceiling which leaves 2 alternatives.
Reduce squad wages and so player quality and/or sell better players for as much profit as possible to compensate for loss of ST income as such profit adds to football earnings.
There was a lot of bollox doing the rounds after FSR was mentioned in the statement by Celtic on 5th Sept.
There was never any danger of not complying with FSR squad costs this season or in 2026, and that was not in the statement but was the meaning given to it by readers as applying to the summer 25 window.
The idea of not a penny more will impact on The Board only is an absurd one based on incomplete understanding of how the FSR squad rules apply, not just currently but into the future if fixed 3 or 4 years contracts are given now based on current football earnings, when from 2027, based on 2026 accounts, football earnings will fall as result of lesser EL income and possibly exacerbated by a drop in merchandising income and any loss in ST numbers.
The idea FSR was scaremongering is a reflection of a misunderstanding of a wage ceiling finally being implemented across Europe for sustainability reasons and the impact on wages as the 70% starts to bite into the future.
A perfectly valid question however is there was room to spend more since 2023 under 90 and 80% ceiling and why was more not spent and what is the cash stockpile for if anything or is it just the result of sticking to Celtic’s general wage structure.
A bit of clarity at the AGM would go a long way to the closing the vacuum that speculation rushes in to fill.
Jeez, I thought you’d be brandishing your pitchfork at Celtic Park by now.
I’ll be watching on TV.
Other commitments most Saturday’s this year meant there was little point in a season book.
I’m a bit scunnered now though. I’d have made a different decision had I know your elite manager would have us playing Europa League football on a Thursday and SPFL football on a Sunday.
It’s not all bad, though. I get to go to the Europa games and I’m sure The Movement will convince the hard of thinking to give up their season books next year so some of us on the waiting list might get filled.
Who knows, I might end up in your seat.
1 minute til the team comes out.
if MON drops Larsson i will be ragin
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Ralston, Scales, Trusty, Saracchi, McGregor (c), Nygren, Engels, Tounekti, Forrest, Kenny.
Subs: Sinisalo, Balikwisha, McCowan, Osmand, Bernardo, Maeda, Hatate, Murray, Donovan
the most important name on that team sheet is maeda.