Scottish actor Gregor Fisher has recounted an amusing mix-up in which he unknowingly asked Celtic boss Martin O’Neill to take on a plumbing job…
Martin O’Neill arrives at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock 2 Celtic 3. Scottish Premiership. Sunday 15 February 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
The Rab C. Nesbitt star shared the story during an appearance on BBC Radio Scotland’s Off The Ball with Stuart Cosgrove and Tam Cowan on Valentine’s Day. Fisher – who is preparing to head out on a new theatre tour – explained that he did not realise O’Neill was in charge of Celtic at the time when the pair met at a birthday celebration.
According to the actor, the situation escalated after O’Neill jokingly claimed he worked as a plumber.
Edinburgh International Film Festival on Sunday 26th June 2016 Pictured: Stars turn up on the closing night gala red carpet for the World Premiere of Whisky Galore at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 Gregor Fisher, who plays Macroon in the film. Edinburgh Festival Theatre Scotland Photo Alex Todd
Speaking on Off The Ball, Fisher said: “I got into terrible trouble once at Tony Roper’s 60th birthday party at this HMS Belfast for a bit of a bash which was on board a boat.”
“There were a lot of people associated with a certain football club there, unbeknownst to me. He came up and said ‘I’d like you to meet a pal of mine,’ and the guy said ‘Hello, I’m Martin’. I said ‘Hello Martin, what do you do?’”
“He looked at me kind of queer and funny and he said ‘I’m a plumber’. I said ‘Oh you’re a plumber, that’s a marvellous thing, I’ve just bought a house and I’m looking for a plumber’.”
Rikki Fulton and Gregor Fisher Television: Rab C Nesbitt 1990 Director: Ian Pattison 27 September 1990. Photo Mary Evans AF Archive IMAGO
At that moment, actor and comedian Tony Roper, who had brought the two together during his birthday celebration, stepped in to clear up the confusion, informing Fisher that O’Neill was actually Celtic’s manager rather than working as a tradesman.
Fisher said: “Roper nudged me and he said ‘Gregor, this is Martin O’Neill, he’s the manager of Celtic Football Club’.”
“I said ‘I’m terribly sorry Martin, I didn’t know’. That’s how much I know about football.”
Conor Spence
Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order
More Stories / Latest News
