NafisaThe 2-1 victory over Falkirk gave Celtic the response they desperately needed after the Champions League disaster — but Martin O’Neill’s post-match comments quickly shifted the spotlight towards the Old Firm.
Celtic had been left reeling just days earlier after throwing away a four-goal aggregate advantage against LASK, suffering a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Austria and dropping into the Europa League. O’Neill described that collapse as a devastating blow, but his side responded at Celtic Park with a win.
Camilo Durán struck twice to secure the three points, giving the Hoops something positive to take from a difficult week. More importantly, O’Neill was able to speak with considerably more optimism after seeing his players put the European nightmare behind them.
Yet the biggest talking point came when the conversation turned towards the upcoming Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against Rangers at Ibrox.
The fixture has already become surrounded by controversy after Rangers confirmed Celtic would receive just 300 away tickets for the September 13 clash. The decision came amid the fallout from the disorder that marred the Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ibrox in March, when supporters from both clubs invaded the pitch and 43 arrests were eventually made.
Rangers have argued that the reduced allocation is necessary because of ongoing safety concerns, particularly after further pitch incursions involving Celtic supporters.
But O’Neill clearly does not believe that a fixture of this magnitude should be played with such a tiny travelling support.
And then came the message that has got supporters talking.
Asked about the offer of only 300 tickets, O’Neill did not hide his frustration.
“We might as well not get any,” he said.
The Celtic boss went on to explain why he believes the Old Firm derby loses something when away supporters are effectively removed from the occasion.
In O’Neill’s view, this is not just another football match. It is one of the biggest fixtures in world football, and the atmosphere created by supporters from both sides is a fundamental part of what makes the game special.
He said: “My view, taking off, you know, my Celtic manager’s hat, I’m just looking at it from a viewpoint. It’s one of the great fixtures.”
That was only the beginning.
O’Neill recalled experiencing the atmosphere at Ibrox himself and suggested that the absence of a substantial away support can fundamentally change the character of the fixture.
He even reflected on a previous Old Firm encounter where Rangers scored in “complete silence”, making clear that he does not believe that is what Scottish football should want from its biggest derby.
Then came the line that will undoubtedly get Rangers fans talking.
O’Neill was asked whether Celtic could actually reject the 300-ticket allocation.
His answer was emphatic:
“But very obviously, if we’re going to, if they’re going to give us 300 tickets, I would rather say no. And we’ll give them one!”
That is the message that has transformed what could have been an ordinary post-match interview into one of the most talked-about moments surrounding the upcoming derby.
O’Neill was careful to stress that he did not know whether Celtic would actually follow his suggestion, admitting that he would need to ask the club about the situation.
But his personal position could hardly have been clearer.
“I genuinely don’t know that there. I’ll ask my learned friend, Iain, but I don’t know. I don’t know. It’s just that was my viewpoint on the thing.”
There is also a wider context to the argument.
The Scottish FA has now punished both Celtic and Rangers with a home Scottish Cup match behind closed doors following the disorder at Ibrox. Both clubs have also been ordered to pay £100,000 to the visiting side for their next Scottish Cup home fixture. A further stadium closure can be triggered if there is more trouble before the end of the 2027/28 season.
So O’Neill’s comments come at a particularly explosive moment for the Old Firm.
For Celtic, the immediate priority was simply getting back to winning ways after the LASK collapse. They managed that against Falkirk.
But with Rangers waiting at Ibrox next month, the ticket dispute looks set to become another major storyline surrounding the fixture.
And O’Neill has now made his position crystal clear: if Rangers are only willing to give Celtic 300 tickets, he would rather Celtic take none at all — and give Rangers just one in return.
Nafisa
