O’NEILL TAKES AIM AT BOYD’S BIASED PUNDITRY AHEAD OF SCOTTISH CUP FINAL SHOWDOWN
Martin O’Neill has publicly taken a swipe at Sky Sports pundit and Rangers legend Kris Boyd, calling out what the Celtic manager sees as relentless media bias ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Cup final against Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden Park.
With Celtic on the verge of completing a domestic double under the 74-year-old’s remarkable stewardship, the build-up to the Hampden showdown has been anything but quiet. While attention should rightly be focused on one of Scottish football’s most prestigious occasions, it has been the conduct of certain pundits — Boyd foremost among them — that has drawn fire from the Hoops boss.
Boyd led the charge from Tynecastle with Sky Sports applying no checks or corrections to his claims following Celtic’s dramatic title win [Videocelts](https://videocelts.com/2026/05/blogs/latest-news/anyone-but-celtic-martin-oneill-hits-back-at-bleating-scottish-media/) — a run of punditry that O’Neill has clearly had enough of. O’Neill fired back spectacularly at the Scottish media and their treatment of Celtic, pointedly declaring that “outside our supporters, outside us, outside the diaspora, everybody wanted Hearts to win.” [Videocelts](https://videocelts.com/2026/05/blogs/latest-news/anyone-but-celtic-martin-oneill-hits-back-at-bleating-scottish-media/) It was a message aimed squarely at those in the broadcasting world who, in his view, allowed bias to masquerade as analysis.
Boyd, Scotland’s all-time leading scorer and now one of the country’s most prominent football voices, has not shied away from controversy this season. His commentary on Celtic’s title run repeatedly drew criticism from the Parkhead faithful, and his pre-final prediction has done little to ease tensions. Boyd has also weighed in on O’Neill’s future, insisting Celtic “can’t afford” to let the legendary manager leave and that the club must find a role for him somewhere [67 Hail Hail](https://www.67hailhail.com/news/chris-sutton-reveals-what-martin-oneill-will-demand-to-stay-on-as-celtic-manager/) — a somewhat contradictory position for someone whose coverage has repeatedly irked Celtic supporters throughout the campaign.
O’Neill, for his part, has remained largely composed — but when pushed, the Northern Irishman has shown he has lost none of the sharp wit and combative edge that defined his first, trophy-laden spell at Celtic Park. O’Neill is expected to leave after this weekend’s game following an incredible Scottish Premiership title win on the final day when the Hoops beat Hearts 3-1 [67 Hail Hail](https://www.67hailhail.com/match/is-celtic-vs-dunfermline-on-tv-scottish-cup-final-kick-off-time-live-stream-team-news-referee-and-var/) , making Saturday’s final a potential farewell to management and all the more emotionally charged.
The timing of Boyd’s remarks is particularly galling from a Celtic perspective. The 2026 Scottish Cup final will be contested between 42-time winners Celtic and two-time winners Dunfermline Athletic at Hampden Park on 23 May 2026 [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Scottish_Cup_final) — a fixture that deserves to be framed on its own merits rather than overshadowed by punditry controversies. Celtic suffered a shock defeat against Aberdeen in the cup final last year and will be hoping for no repeat. [67 Hail Hail](https://www.67hailhail.com/match/is-celtic-vs-dunfermline-on-tv-scottish-cup-final-kick-off-time-live-stream-team-news-referee-and-var/)
O’Neill, 74, gave thanks to Celtic from the pitch after the title win, stressing the club had given him a “reason to live” [The Scotsman](https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-news/martin-oneill-addresses-celtic-future-has-words-for-hearts-and-reveals-derek-mcinnes-full-time-moment-8549979) — a powerful declaration that speaks to just how deeply this second stint at Parkhead has meant to him. It is that unbreakable bond with the club that makes the prospect of outside voices attempting to diminish Celtic’s achievements all the more intolerable to the veteran manager.
Dunfermline, managed by Neil Lennon — O’Neill’s former captain and successor at Celtic — will arrive at Hampden as heavy underdogs. But O’Neill knows better than anyone that finals have a habit of defying predictions, especially those made by pundits with an axe to grind.
If Boyd’s commentary was designed to unsettle, O’Neill’s response suggests it has had precisely the opposite effect. With a Scottish Cup winner’s medal potentially waiting at the end of Saturday’s afternoon, the Celtic manager appears motivated, sharp, and ready to let the football do the talking — one final time.
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*The 2026 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Dunfermline Athletic kicks off at 3pm BST on Saturday 23 May at Hampden Park, live on BBC One Scotland.*