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Date: 6th November 2025
A sketchy and humorous look at the outpourings of the great, the good and the not so good of Scottish fitba’ by Donald C Stewart. Readers are warned that if they take this seriously then therapy is available – just let us know where you find it so we can pass it on to others…
Just when you thought a solution had been found, Mr O’Neill has found words coming back to haunt him.
“It would reinvigorate the Scottish Premiership.”.
That was what he said. There is no denying it. It’s on tape!
Referring to Heart of Midlothian winning the Premiership, Mr. O’Neill did not have to look far to realise that he had opened up his mouth, inserted his size nines and attempted to change his socks …
Over in Parkhead, the worry was that having dealt with second hand car sales talk from Mr Rodgers that there may need to be another metaphorical hand brake turns. Having dispensed with Mr Rodgers by Morris Minor taxi they had hoped for the appointment of Mr O’ Neill to instantly be hailed as the Chief of Staff in Steadying the Ship.
Mr O’Neill, already managing, in a couple of games, to get the team past the doldrums of having to motor along like a Range Rover, he has them purring like a slightly misfiring but promising Ferrari. No longer are players appearing to suffer from a nosebleed every time they get over the halfway line.
And so, the seat, which is now tepid rather than scorching hot, is still, according to the man himself, unlikely to become overly comfortable for this 73-year-old man of action. To emphasise the point, Mr O’Neill, 73 times at least in one press conference kept telling everyone that he is not here for the long haul.
But then he won a semi-final.
When asked about “those” comments about the league leaders, Hearts, Mr O’Neill with great honesty fessed up straight away. There were no artifice and a freshness from the “I have never been more fired up” talk before resigning of the previous manager, and this was much remarked upon.
In fact, having lost none of his sharpness Mr. O’Neill agreed that had he known how things were going to pan out he might not have said anything. Keeping his mouth shut is exactly what Mr Rogers, the previous incumbent, seems to have been unable to do, which led to his dismissal. Mr Desmond, the kingpin behind the throne at Parkhead, is probably smiling in a corridor somewhere that he has made the right choice as Mr O’Neill clearly has the ability to keep his mouth shut.
Keeping your mouth shut as a means of keeping your job, of course, is something that is well practised in a number of dugouts across the length and breadth of Scotland. Mr O’Neill honestly pointed out that even in his punditry, sometimes he should have kept his mouth shut.
There was no follow up question which could have included a question over when Mr O’Neill spoke of his desire to see Hearts win the league, he made a cardinal sin of agreeing with a … Ranger. The discussion had been part of a Talk Sport programme when he (allegedly) agreed with none other than Ibrox Legend and greatest ever Ranger, Mr. Alistair McCoist. O’ Neill suggested that Hearts were “a very strong side” and perhaps “Celtic were struggling to live up to that.”
Mr O’Niell’s spikiness is well known, once having to take on two World Cup Winners in 2014, when they seemed to disrespect him because they thought he was a wee novice – Messrs Cannavaro and Veira were put right back in their place and the Parkhead faithful shall hope that the current squad are right back in their rightful place – winning games of football.
And for that, Mr O’Neill seems to have found the missing formula, perhaps having fallen out of a biscuit tin, under sofa in the boardroom. Who is to know?
Naebody cares, but…
In other news, representatives for Alex from Bellshill have denied rumours that he was seen in Paris over the last fortnight with some suggesting he was over there “casing a joint.” Down south at Kew Gardens the removal of a statue belonging to the King was also, according to a representative, nothing tae dae wi him. Palace officials further confirmed they had the statue but remained coy about whether Alex from Bellshill was involved. Their parting shot was that Alex would not have been involved because it was “hardly a Dali…”
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Tags: oor Donald, SPFL