Hearts take aim at Martin O'Neill after Celtic Park row

Hearts have escalated the aftermath of Celtic's 3-1 win by calling out Martin O'Neill's defence of the reaction at Celtic Park. In a statement, Heart Of Midlothian said it had written to the SFA and SPFL about the match's "premature ending", and warned that a pitch invasion can effectively determine how long a football match lasts, rather than the officials. The club also said players and staff reported "serious physical and verbal abuse" after Celtic fans came on to the pitch.

Why Hearts' statement has sharpened the row

O'Neill brushed away the criticism in unusually blunt terms. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, "I'm sorry, I totally disagree with that. I don't know about the confrontations in terms of the Hearts players, and there's a lot of hyperbole about that, let's find out the real picture." He also dismissed the idea that the scenes embarrassed Scottish football, saying, "Well, I don't believe that, I just don't believe it, I think it's nonsense."

That is the point Hearts are pushing back against. Their statement said the comments carried "dangerous implications" because they soften the seriousness of what happened. Hearts were also explicit that the issue is not whether Celtic's title celebration was emotional, but whether a pitch invasion can be treated as part of the occasion when players and staff say they faced abuse.

The facts around the decisive moment are simple enough. Callum Osmand's late goal sparked the invasion, and he finished with one goal and one assist in 17 minutes. Heart Of Midlothian had gone into the final day one point ahead of Celtic, so the 3-1 defeat flipped the title race on the last afternoon.

The wider argument is now about what football authorities do next. John Swinney said the government will engage with clubs, the SPFL and local authorities, and is open to further legislative steps if needed. That keeps the row moving beyond one angry statement. Hearts have made clear they want the incident treated as a safety issue first, not a celebration that simply went too far.