MARTIN O’NEILL’S Celtic managerial career in derby encounters kicked off with a win in August 2000 and concluded with another victory in April 2005.
In total, the Irishman was involved in 27 all-Glasgow confrontations and he enjoyed 16 successes while suffering eight losses.
O’Neill locks horns with the Govan club again at Hampden this afternoon in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final and, at 73, he is more than double the age of his dug-out opponent, 36-year-old Danny Rohl.
That won’t matter a jot to the experienced gaffer whose CV includes two League Cup successes at Leicester City, a combined seven years at Aston Villa and Sunderland.
There was also a five-year career as the Republic of Ireland international team chief after joining in November 2013 and leaving in November 2018.
THE START – AND END – OF SOMETHING GOOD…Henrik Larsson celebrates his second goal in the 6-2 romp ovr Rangers at Parkhead in August 2000 and (below) Craig Bellamy comes close to being overcome by delight after his winner in the 2-1 victory at Ibrox in April 2005. The home supporters don’t share his joy.
O’Neill has already admitted it is unlikely he will experience anything like his first clash with Rangers – the game now known as The Demolition Derby.
Dick Advocaat’s team went into the confrontation after running away with the league the previous season in which the Hoops had parted company with rookie boss John Barnes and had appointed Kenny Dalglish as caretaker in February through to the end of the term.
Doubles from Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson and contributions from Stiliyan Petrov and Paul Lambert saw the hosts thunder to a memorable 6-2 triumph.
The five-year span concluded at Ibrox in April 2005 when strikes from Petrov and Craig Bellamy gave the visitors a well-deserved 2-1 win.
Now, over 20 years since that outing, O’Neill is eager to pick up where he left off.
O’NEILL’S COMPLETE RECORD v RANGERS
2000/2001
Premiership:
CELTIC 6 Rangers 2
Rangers 5 CELTIC 1
CELTIC 1 Rangers 0
Rangers 0 CELTIC 3
League Cup: Semi-final
CELTIC 3 Rangers 1
2001/2002
Premiership:
Rangers 0 CELTIC 2
CELTIC 2 Rangers 1
Rangers 1 CELTIC 1
CELTIC 1 Rangers 1
League Cup: Semi-final:
Rangers 2 CELTIC 1
Scottish Cup Final
CELTIC 2 Rangers 3
2002/2003
Premiership:
CELTIC 3 Rangers 3
Rangers 3 CELTIC 2
CELTIC 1 Rangers 0
Rangers 1 CELTIC 2
League Cup Final:
CELTIC 1 Rangers 2
2003/2004
Premiership:
Rangers 0 CELTIC 1
CELTIC 3 Rangers 0
Rangers 1 CELTIC 2
CELTIC 1 Rangers 0
Scottish Cup:
CELTIC 1 Rangers 0
2004/2005
CELTIC 1 Rangers 0
Rangers 2 CELTIC 0
CELTIC 0 Rangers 2
Rangers 1 CELTIC 2
League Cup:
Rangers 2 CELTIC 1 (aet)
Scottish Cup:
CELTIC 2 Rangers 1
*DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best in action images from Celtic v Rangers this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
