O'Neill: Hearts Assault Claims 'Not Proven'; SFA Backs Ref
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- Martin O'Neill said allegations Hearts players were assaulted during Celtic's title-clinching pitch invasion "has not been proved" and that footage review shows "no sign of that at this minute," though he conceded apologies would be due if proof emerges.
- Tony Bloom claimed on Wednesday that Hearts players "were in danger and one or two got assaulted" as Celtic fans streamed onto Tynecastle Park after Callum Osmand's 98th-minute goal made it 3-1, calling the behaviour "completely unacceptable."
- Police Scotland are investigating whether any criminality occurred during the invasion, which forced Celtic to apologise and exit the stadium still in their kit.
- Hearts branded O'Neill's earlier dismissal of embarrassment concerns "highly irresponsible" and wrote to the SPFL and Scottish FA warning a "troubling precedent" had been set by a pitch invasion effectively deciding match duration.
- The Scottish FA released match officials' video and audio confirming referee Don Robertson ended the game with around 30 seconds of the eight minutes of stoppage time remaining, after Hearts head Derek McInnes "intimated concerns over player safety" and wanted his players off the pitch.
- The SFA said it "fully supports the decisive action taken by Don Robertson and his team to end the game," framing the early whistle as a safety call rather than a refereeing error.
Why it matters: The Scottish FA's decision to publish officials' audio and back Robertson's early whistle effectively settles the refereeing dispute in the governing body's favour, but the parallel police investigation into alleged assaults leaves Bloom's claims unresolved — meaning Celtic could still face sanctions, fan bans, or a forced apology if footage or witness evidence emerges contradicting O'Neill's defence.
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