MARTIN O’NEILL admitted that the protests that forced today’s Celtic 2025 AGM to be abandoned was “really sad”.
The meeting descended into chaos that saw chairman Peter Lawwell bring a premature halt to proceedings as the situation threatened to get out of control.
O’Neill witnessed the uproar and said: “You know what I thought? I thought it was a really sad morning.
“My mind goes back to one of the greatest managers that has ever been in the history of this football club, in any conversation the greatest of all time, I wonder what Jock Stein would have made of it all.
“He talked about unity and unity being so important at this football club because without it you won’t win. That was really sad.
“Obviously, it finished early because it became too raucous, and the bits that I saw; I saw board members saying on video admitting that mistakes have been made. It’s as simple as that, but now there is an opportunity to move on.”
O’Neill, speaking to Sky Sports, continued: “Celtic have had really great success, certainly domestically, in the last number of years and a really great run in the Champions League last season.
“Now let’s see – I’m not saying it’s going to happen in this particular year, but in years to come despite the coefficient dropping dramatically – if Scottish football and the football club can get back again to some great days.”
Quizzed on there being a long way to go to try to revuild rebuild relationships with the supporters, the Irishman answered: “Hopefully not.
“It’s about owning up to what has happened in the recent past and then just try and put it right.
“I think that’s the point. We all make mistakes, I make about 6,000 a day myself.
“So, again, I repeat it was really sad because that is not what Celtic Football Club is all about.”
Images courtesy Celtic TV.
O’Neill will now turn his attention to the champions’ return to Premiership action when they take on St Mirren in Paisley tomorrow night.
It will be the charismatic Irishman’s fourth domestic game as stand-in gaffer as he won the previous three – Falkirk (4-0), Rangers (3-1) and Kilmarnock (4-0).
With the apointment of a new permanent manager – almost certainly Wilfried Nancy – imminent, O’Neill will want to carry on winning before he steps aside.
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