Martin O’Neill believes football risks losing part of its emotion if authorities move too aggressively to eliminate pitch invasions following the scenes after Celtic’s title win over Hearts.
The fallout has dominated Scottish football all week.
The SPFL condemned the pitch invasion. The SFA later released audio backing referee Don Robertson’s decision to end the match early because of safety concerns. First Minister John Swinney also called for stronger action after disorder in Glasgow city centre.
O’Neill though took a more balanced approach while discussing the issue.
The Celtic manager accepted authorities may decide to introduce tougher punishments moving forward. At the same time, he argued emotional moments inside football stadiums have always produced spontaneous reactions from supporters, especially during title celebrations.
He also pointed to similar scenes elsewhere across football in recent years.
Manchester City supporters flooded onto the pitch after winning the Premier League. Bayer Leverkusen celebrations produced similar scenes in Germany while Kilmarnock supporters also entered the field after securing promotion closer to home.
O’Neill addressed the wider debate while speaking to Sky Sports this week.
He said: (Sky Sports), “So, but in the wider scheme of things, you’re talking about, would you have any idea how long it took to clear the pitch?
“What would you think? Less than three.
“Less than three minutes.
“It’s still, I mean, at the end of it all. And if you’re going to stop pitch invasions, then I think it is a serious offence in England.
“If it’s going to be brought in by the SPL, that’s fine. If they’re going to do it all over Europe, then I suppose something is going to be lost in the game. However, you still have to deal with it.
“But it’s not the first pitch invasion that’s taken place. In Manchester City, the fans were on the field when they won the Championship. Leverkusen, last two seasons ago. I think closer to home, there was a pitch invasion when Kilmarnock got promotion. So, pitch invasions are not new at the end of the day.
“And if you want to stop all pitch invasions, well, that’s up to the authorities.
“Would you be in favour of harsher penalties, maybe even strict liability?
“Well, interesting. I think you’re taking the emotion out of the game.
“And I believe, and one doesn’t know things for certain, but at the end of it all, if this had happened, if Hearts had beaten us at Tynecastle, and their fans spilled onto the pitch in euphoric glee, then I think I would have some understanding of that. I think I would. It’s easy to say from here that it hasn’t happened, but I think I would.
“And also, I’ve had some great moments at Celtic and some really down ones. We lost two leagues in the last couple of moments. I think there were players and people on the pitch when we lost at Motherwell at that time.”
O’Neill’s comments probably reflect what many inside football actually think about the issue.
Very few people defend supporters entering the pitch while players and staff are still trying to leave safely. But many also understand why emotional moments in title races often create spontaneous reactions that are difficult to completely control once thousands inside a stadium erupt at once.
The timing of Osmand’s goal added to that chaos.
Celtic had looked seconds away from losing the title before Daizen Maeda changed the atmosphere completely. By the time Osmand scored, Celtic Park had become pure emotion and the reaction arrived instantly.
Authorities will still come under pressure to tighten rules moving forward though.
Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final against Dunfermline will now be watched closely after a week where the discussion around Celtic’s title celebrations has almost become bigger than the football itself.
