{"id":244025,"date":"2025-11-04T21:08:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/244025\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T21:08:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T21:08:20","slug":"martin-oneills-mysterious-trip-to-london-after-beating-rangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/244025\/","title":{"rendered":"Martin O\u2019Neill\u2019s mysterious trip to London after beating Rangers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\tIt was a funny moment when Martin O\u2019Neill told Jim Whyte on talkSport yesterday why he was back in London the day after emerging from the Premier Sports Cup semi-final as the winner\u2026<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174805\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/oneill_4382.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174805 size-full\" alt=\"Martin O'Neill\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:1280\/853;max-width:1200px\"\/>Martin O\u2019Neill. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing back in London?\u201d Jim White asked the interim Celtic manager on <a href=\"https:\/\/talksport.com\/football\/3701181\/martin-oneill-passport-celtic-europa-league-block\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">talkSPORT <\/a>yesterday morning, the day after Martin O\u2019Neill secured Celtic\u2019s place in next month\u2019s Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren with a 3-1 victory over theRangers. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a game in Denmark on Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemarkable,\u201d O\u2019Neill replied. \u201cI was in such haste to get up there to Scotland last Tuesday, that I had not got my passport. So I had to come down and bring my passport up, otherwise I do not get into Denmark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"961\" height=\"968\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174651\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LC_SEMI_CELTIC_RANGERS_01688-1.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174651 size-full\" alt=\"Martin O'Neill\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:961\/968;max-width:961px\"\/>Martin O\u2019Neill. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)<\/p>\n<p>A funny moment, but one that shows Celtic are currently flying by the seat of their pants following the events of the last few months which all came to a head last Monday evening, thus the frantic dash to Glasgow last Tuesday morning for the legendary Celtic manager.<\/p>\n<p>Of course that may have been a cover story and Martin may well have been in London for another reason, perhaps to meet up with Dermot Desmond, who you would imagine \u2013 putting aside the rights and wrongs of this if that is the case \u2013 is leading the search for Celtic\u2019s next manager following on from Brendan Rodgers.<\/p>\n<p>With other candidates in the mix, some keener than others it has to be noted, Dermot would not want any knowledge of O\u2019Neill being in London to meet him getting out. If there was no way he was going to be able to persuade O\u2019Neill to stay on then the last thing he\u2019d want is for names on his shortlist to know that they weren\u2019t first choice after all.<\/p>\n<p>Just a thought.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"1044\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-174681\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LC_SEMI_CELTIC_RANGERS_03918.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174681 size-full\" alt=\"Shaun Maloney and Martin O'Neill\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:960\/1044;max-width:960px\"\/>Shaun Maloney and Martin O\u2019Neill. Celtic v theRangers. Premier Sports Cup, semi final at Hampden. 2 November 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)<\/p>\n<p>The timeline makes sense too. Get the next two games out of the way, hopefully making it four wins from four, hit the international break which will allow Celtic to take a breath and ahead of the AGM \u2013 which is set to be lively to say the least \u2013 announce Martin O\u2019Neill and Shaun Maloney will remain in place to the end of the season.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/imago1051746533h.jpg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-149347 has-webp size-full\" alt=\"Dermot Desmond\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:6000\/4000;max-width:1536px\"\/>Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 Dermot Desmond on the 18th tee during the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 on the Old Course at St. Andrews Golf CLub, Fife, . 06\/10\/2024. Picture Fran Caffrey \/ Golffile.ie<\/p>\n<p>Quite a few ifs, buts and maybes in that but it\u2019s more plausible that Martin having to fly down to London to collect his passport when Celtic could have sorted than in so many different ways that wouldn\u2019t involve Martin have to spend his day in airports and flying to and from Glasgow.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter, signed copies by Danny McGrain available from <a href=\"https:\/\/celticstarbooks.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">celticstarbooks.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t miss the chance to purchase the late, great Celtic historian David Potter\u2019s final book. All remaining copies have been signed by the legendary Celtic captain \u00a0Danny McGrain PLUS you\u2019ll also receive a FREE copy of David Potter\u2019s Willie Fernie biography \u2013 Putting on the Style, and you\u2019ll only be charged for postage on one book. \u00a0Order from Celtic Star Books <a href=\"https:\/\/celticstarbooks.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/celticstarbooks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMG_9129.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-172373 has-webp size-full\" alt=\"Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie - Putting on the Style both by David Potter \"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:1280\/807;max-width:1280px\"\/><\/a>Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie \u2013 Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star<a href=\"https:\/\/celticstarbooks.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Unknown.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-171025 has-webp size-full\" alt=\"Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties\"  data- style=\"aspect-ratio:880\/601;max-width:880px\"\/><\/a>Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books&#13;<\/p>\n<p>\t\tMore Stories \/ Latest News<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thecelticstar.com\/welsh-fa-dampen-bellamy-to-celtic-story-martin-waits-on-dermot-desmond\/\" title=\"Welsh FA dampen Bellamy to Celtic story, Martin waits on Dermot Desmond\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1264\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/wales-press-conference.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174925 has-webp lazyload\" alt=\"Craig Bellamy, Head Coach of Wales\"  data-\/>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thecelticstar.com\/captain-praises-celtics-young-guns-who-scored-against-the-rangers\/\" title=\"Captain praises Celtic\u2019s young guns who scored against the Rangers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-92.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174833 lazyload\" alt=\"Johnny Kenny celebrates.\"  data-\/>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/thecelticstar.com\/he-asked-for-intensity-from-the-players-calmac-on-mons-hampden-team-talk\/\" title=\"\u201cHe asked for intensity from the players,\u201d Calmac on MON\u2019s Hampden team-talk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">&#13;<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/mcgregor_9442.jpeg\" class=\"lazyload lazyload wp-image-174823 lazyload\" alt=\"Callum McGregor\"  data-\/>\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t&#13;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was a funny moment when Martin O\u2019Neill told Jim Whyte on talkSport yesterday why he was back&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":244026,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[218,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-244025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-football","tag-football","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}