Celtic legend Martin O'Neill taking in a Celtic pre-match press conference.

BBC silence noted as Martin O’Neill brushes off sectarian slurs from Rangers fans

By /

Celtic boss Martin O’Neill addressed the abuse he got from Rangers fans in a gracious manner, but as BBC Sportsound captured the sectarian chants, their silence in condemning them was clear for all to hear.

Celtic drew 2-2 with Rangers after a superb fightback from 2-0 down. But when Rangers scored their second goal, that is when the usual sick Ibrox chanting began.

Addressing the offensive chants aimed at him, O’Neill said, “The atmosphere, even though I was getting plenty of abuse myself. No problem.

“Honestly, I would have been disappointed if I hadn’t been getting it.

“The atmosphere for the O-d F-rm game really brought me back. Honestly, it was electric.”

While the Celtic manager humbly brushed off the chants, the reality on the BBC was clear for everyone to hear.

Follow Follow's VAR penalty pain after Celtic's superb fightback at RangersFollow Follow's VAR penalty pain after Celtic's superb fightback at Rangers
Simon Houston calls out BBC man Tom English' 'weird behaviour' after Celtic draw vs RangersSimon Houston calls out BBC man Tom English' 'weird behaviour' after Celtic draw vs Rangers
Watch Gerry McCulloch roast John Beaton’s VAR check at Ibrox as Celtic TV footage goes viralWatch Gerry McCulloch roast John Beaton’s VAR check at Ibrox as Celtic TV footage goes viral

BBC Sportsound’s silence as Ibrox reigned sectarian abuse on the Celtic manager

Indeed, this is not the first time BBC Sportsound has been complicit in their silence over sectarian singing from Rangers fans.

But when the national broadcaster is pumping it into thousands of Scottish families’ homes, an apology should have been the bare minimum the BBC should have issued.

Here is how it all unfolded:

The double-standard here is astounding, considering the BBC were quick to apologise for a Celtic fan swearing on one of their live broadcasts last season.

The more this issue is ignored, the more it continues to be accepted. But for Celtic fans, the media and broadcasters’ silence on sectarianism in Scotland is hardly surprising.

Get this kind of Celtic reaction straight to your inbox — free – sign up for our BRAND NEW newsletter before you leave.

Celtic fans are debating this right now in The Jungle 🍀

Opinions are split. Some fans see it one way, others see it very differently.

The conversation is already live in The Jungle — the Born Celtic forum where proper football arguments happen without algorithms deciding who gets heard.

JOIN THE JUNGLE & HAVE YOUR SAY →

1 thought on “BBC silence noted as Martin O’Neill brushes off sectarian slurs from Rangers fans”

  1. John McGhee

    BILLY BOYS CHANNEL JUST HATES CATHOLIC AS WE ALL KNOW FOR YEARS SCUMBAGS THATS WHY I WOULD NEVER BUY A LICENCE AND GIVE IT TO THEY MASONIC FU–PIG RATS..

    Reply

Let other Celtic fans know your thoughts on this all things to do with the Bhoys!

document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { const container = document.querySelector('.live-feed'); if(!container) return; function formatUpdate(updateIndex) { const updateBlocks = container.querySelectorAll('.live-update'); updateBlocks.forEach((block, i) => { // Skip if already formatted if(block.dataset.formatted) return; block.classList.add('live-update'); block.id = 'update-' + (i+1); block.dataset.formatted = 'true'; // Add 🔗 icon if not present if(!block.querySelector('.copy-link')) { const link = document.createElement('a'); link.href = '#' + block.id; link.className = 'copy-link'; link.innerHTML = ' 🔗'; link.title = 'Copy link'; link.onclick = function(e){ e.preventDefault(); navigator.clipboard.writeText(window.location.href.split('#')[0] + '#' + block.id); alert('Link copied!'); } block.appendChild(link); } }); } // Observe for new updates const observer = new MutationObserver(() => formatUpdate()); observer.observe(container, { childList: true, subtree: true }); // Initial format formatUpdate(); });
Scroll to Top

Discover more from Born Celtic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading