Dejected Hearts leave Celtic Park in their playing kits
HOOP DREAMS: Celtic fans celebrate their side's victory over Heart of Midlothian in the Premiership decider at Celtic Park, Glasgow. Pic: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire.
Hearts made a hasty exit from Celtic Park after their Scottish Premiership dream ended in acrimonious fashion.
The players had to be escorted off the pitch as thousands of Celtic fans spilled on to the playing area immediately after Callum Osmand made it 3-1 deep into stoppage time of their title decider.
Some confronted the crestfallen Jambos, who were called down the tunnel by club officials concerned for their safety. The match, which was approaching the end of the indicated eight minutes of added time, did not restart.
With Celtic’s players and supporters still inside the ground waiting to lift the trophy, the Hearts team bus left Parkhead with players still in their match kits within 20 minutes of the full-time whistle and did not carry out their post-match media duties.
Meanwhile, Celtic captain Callum McGregor praised the mentality of everyone at the club after beating Hearts 3-1 to retain their Premiership title.
Hearts – having been top all the way since late September – arrived at a partisan Celtic Park knowing they only needed a draw to claim the top-flight title for the first time since 1960.
Celtic, though, came from behind through late goals by Daizen Maeda and substitute Callum Osmand to shatter Hearts’ own dreams and deliver a fifth successive championship, which earlier in the campaign had looked well out of reach.
“For the first time ever, I am speechless,” McGregor said on Sky Sports. “You can see what this means to everyone, to the group of players.
“Wow, what a season. (We were) down and out, everyone wrote us off.
“It is only because of what is inside this building that you can go and make special things happen and that is what we have done.” McGregor added: “We knew we would get a chance for sure, this is the way this group is, they just keep going and going.
“What a special, special group of people – magical.” Celtic boss Martin O’Neill – who had been brought back for another interim spell in charge after the Wilfried Nancy’s forgettable tenure – admitted he had been taken aback by the club’s turnaround.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I could experience those lads up there (lifting the trophy)”, he said.
“The players, the coaching staff have given me a reason to live.
“This is the most special place on earth. When there is absolute unison in this stadium, it is a sight to behold.”
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