The legendary Celtic-Rangers derby, one of football’s most electrifying spectacles, is about to lose a huge chunk of its soul. Martin O’Neill, the man at the helm, just dropped the bombshell: no away fans allowed for this season’s clashes. He called it “inevitable,” but man, that doesn’t make it sting any less for us “normal punters.”
The Derby’s Roar Goes Quiet
Seriously, how are we supposed to process this? O’Neill himself admitted it’s “really sad” to think about. He’s right, the derbies are “a great fixture,” but they’re gonna lose “a great deal with the big allocation of away fans not being in the stadium.” Think about that atmosphere, the back-and-forth chants, the pure chaos of thousands of passionate supporters packed into the opposing ground. That energy is gone. Poof. It’s a massive blow to the spectacle, and honestly, a real bummer for anyone who loves the raw emotion of these games. Can you even imagine a Celtic-Rangers clash without that intense, visceral away support? It just won’t be the same.
Transfer Window Wrap-Up: Loans and Europa League Choices
Alright, shifting gears from the emotional gut punch, let’s talk transfers. O’Neill’s sounding pretty upbeat about the window, which is good news. He’s “really really pleased” with the new faces in the building, saying he’s “happy” with the number of signings as long as they “can avoid serious injury.” That’s a big “if,” always, right? He did admit he would’ve “ideally” liked to get players in earlier, but hey, “get on with it now” is the mindset. What’s interesting is that five of the six players brought in on the penultimate day were loan deals. O’Neill’s got a healthy dose of caution there, noting “loans are sometimes a bit of a concern,” but it “depends on the player.” That’s a fair take.
The big head-scratcher for some might be the Europa League squad. Landon Emenalo, Shim Mheuka, and Joel van den Berg all missed out. O’Neill would’ve preferred to have them “all on board” for Europe, but he’s making it clear where the priority lies: “our bread and butter is the league.” That’s a classic manager move, right? Focus on what truly matters domestically. And as for missing out on Gvidas Ginetis from Torino, O’Neill said it was “not a problem,” which is a strong statement of confidence in the current squad. He’s “really pleased with what we have now at this minute.” You gotta love that kind of conviction.
Looking ahead, the squad’s getting healthier. Kieran Tierney and Kasper Hogh, both missing from the Aberdeen game, are “on the mend” and might even be back for next Wednesday’s game against St Johnstone on September 9. Before that, Celtic faces St Mirren this Saturday. Craig McLeish’s side has been “an absolute delight” this season, according to O’Neill, so this won’t be a walk in the park. Get ready for a huge weekend, folks, and let’s see how this team truly shines on the pitch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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