12 May 2026; Millenic Alli of Republic of Ireland during a friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Real Murcia 'B' at La Finca Resort in Alicante, Spain. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Time to invite legal eagle O’Neill to a VAR-themed dinner in the Marker Hotel
Cathal Dervan, Editor
When Martin O’Neill first got the Ireland manager’s job he was keen to ‘hold court’ with the sports editors on our national newspapers, ‘hold court’ being a fitting phrase for a man besotted with the law and the legal systems of Ireland and the UK.
For a couple of years, together with senior employees from his parent football association, O’Neill would attend a dinner in one of Dublin’s better hotels down by the Docklands.
Having attended two of these such functions, I can confirm that they were very hospitable and very amicable but all the better when the subject turned away from football.
We first discovered this in a private dining room in the Marker Hotel in 2013, just a long kick-out from the Aviva Stadium and the stage where O’Neill came into his own.
That night, it’s fair to say he was reticent at first. These days football people and the media share a distrust for each other, a far cry from O’Neill’s career as a player when journalists and teams would travel together, stay together and socialise together.
In the days pre-teletext never mind pre-social media, the lifestyle gap between footballers and media wasn’t all that apparent and they lived, for the most part, in harmony.
That began to change as O’Neill was transitioning from player to manager in the late 80s. Media began to rely less on sources and more on speculation, football people began to distance themselves in some circumstances from old friends.
Caginess entered the vocabulary and with managers long before players stopped handing out their phone numbers, long before they discovered the value of self content on Insta or Tik-Tok.
That’s partly why O’Neill was quiet and a little withdrawn at first in the Marker - and partly the reason why he was there in the first place for this getting to know you soiree.
The evening needed something to break down the barriers and that something was true crime. I’d read that O’Neill, the man who gave up a law degree to take a punt on professional football with Nottingham Forest in 1971, had queued up to attend the Yorkshire Ripper trial at the Old Bailey in 1981.
It was the perfect ice breaker once the subject was put on the table. For an hour or so, Martin O’Neill enthralled one of the toughest audiences in Dublin with his legal tales, his times at Queen’s in Belfast, his first hand experiences in the public galleries, how he had brought his family on the Jack The Ripper tour in London’s Aldgate to celebrate one of his milestone birthdays.
The interest in the law, in justice, was clearly evident, excuse the pun.
And that’s why I would be intrigued to sit down for dinner in the Marker Hotel again with Martin O’Neill and ask his forensic brain to discuss the rights and wrongs of that recently old chestnut VAR.
On Wednesday night, Celtic’s league ambitions were revived the minute, an extra-time minute, that referee John Beaton was summoned to the sideline by VAR official Andrew Dallas to review a potential handball by Sam Nicholson.
Beaton hadn’t seen the handball when Nicholson clashed in the air with Auston Trusty. Those of us watching the pivotal moment in the Scottish season on TV assumed VAR was checking on the ‘hand to head’ movement by the Motherwell player.
But no, after another long wait, Beaton looked at the monitor as the handball was highlighted and the penalty was awarded. Yes, Kelechi Ihenacho kept his cool as he sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to seal the 3-2 win for Celtic with the last kick of the game.
But that can’t dampen the feeling that VAR did football another disservice at Fir Park. Hearts would have all but won the League for the first time since 1960, since before even this old fogey was born, if the referee’s gut instincts had been followed, if the penalty had not been awarded by video and if the game had finished at 2-2.
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Now Martin O’Neill has the chance to steal the title from the Jam Tarts with a win when they meet at Parkhead on Saturday and I wouldn’t bet against that, much as Hearts deserve to be crowned Champions of Scotland.
Late on Wednesday night as he faced the TV cameras, the legendary manager was adamant that the right decision was made for the penalty that may well change Scottish football history but deep down I’d love to know what this legal eagle really thinks of VAR.
Maybe I’ll invite him to dinner again in the Marker Hotel. Table for two please.
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Celtic manager Martin O’Neill thought his team were ‘done for’ in the Scottish title race just seconds before VAR struck and the most controversial penalty for quite some time was awarded nine minutes into added time on Wednesday night.
The Bhoys were level at 2-2 with their hosts Motherwell and the game was long into injury time when a VAR-assisted penalty, scored by Kelechi Ihenacho, somehow secured a 3-2 win and ensured a sensational end to the season this Saturday.
Referee John Beaton awarded the penalty after he was called to the sideline by VAR official Andrew Dallas to look at an alleged handball by Sam Nicholson, a former Hearts player.
Beaton pointed to the spot, Ihenacho scored and the game turned in Celtic’s favour to keep them just a point ahead Hearts who must now visit Parkhead on Saturday for the title decider.
As the Irish News reports, it could all have been so different if the game had ended 2-2 on a night Hearts stayed on top of the table with a 3-0 win at home to Falkirk.
Speaking to the media after the dramatic win that potentially changed the course of the season never mind the game, O’Neill said: “I think we knew we had to win both matches otherwise it was done for. It’s exciting to take it into the final game and I think the players have good belief that they can do it. And that’s very, very important.
“We have to win the game. Hearts don’t but at least we’ve taken it there. It’s nice to take it into the final game which looked a long way off five or six weeks ago.
“I think we have got a chance, we’re at home. The atmosphere will be fantastic.”
Asked about the penalty decision, O’Neill added: “The lads have a little monitor. It’s very small. I can’t really see it. I need another pair of glasses to see it. The lads thought it was a handball, an elbow as well too.”
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes adopted a siege mentality after watching Celtic win a controversial last gasp penalty and the penultimate game of the season against Motherwell on Wednesday night.
The three points his team had already picked up with a 3-0 win at home to Falkirk were completely overshadowed by events at Motherwell where a VAR-assisted spot kick was converted by Kelechi Ihenacho to keep Celtic within a point of Hearts.
With the two teams set to meet at Parkhead on Saturday and Hearts needing only a point to guarantee a first league title since 1960.
Having watched the drama unfold on TV after his team’s latest win, McInnes told the media that his team are ‘up against everybody’ and branded the Celtic winner as ‘disgusting’.
“When you heard Celtic had a 96th-minute penalty going to VAR, you just assume they get it,” McInnes was reported as saying by BBC Sport.
“It’s disgusting. We’re up against it, we’re up against everybody. I don’t think it’s a penalty. It’s so poor and it looks as though [Celtic] have been given it. They have been very fortunate.”
Now Hearts must avoid defeat at Parkhead on Saturday to become the first team in four decades from outside the Old Firm duo of Celtic and Rangers to lift the championship crown.
“It’s going to the last game. We’re delighted to be part of it,” McInnes added. “To do it, we’re going to have to go and get a positive result. I’m looking forward to it already, there’ll be no feeling sorry for ourselves. What a game it’s going to be.”
Cork City goalkeeper Conor Brann and Bohemians midfielder Dawson Devoy are reportedly in the provisional Ireland squad for end of season friendlies at home to Qatar and away to Canada.
The 42’s Gavin Cooney has reported that First Division star Brann and Dalymount here Devoy have been included the extended squad by boss Heimir Hallgrimsson.
The Ireland manager will announce the squad on Monday morning and after Saturday’s friendly against Grenada in Murcia that will feature effectively an Irish B side.
Cooney also reports that Shamrock Rovers’ teenager Victor Ozhianvuna is likely to be included in the Irish U21 squad for their end of season friendly fixtures which have yet to be confirmed.
Ireland host Qatar at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday, May 28th and then play World Cup co-hosts Canada in Montreal on June 6th.
Reports in England suggest that Manchester United are ready to begin talks with Michael Carrick ahead of appointing him as permanent Head Coach at Old Trafford.
The Guardian is one of the outlets reporting that former United midfielder Carrick has impressed the club’s hierarchy during his spell as interim manager following the exit of Ruben Amorim in January.
Carrick has earned 33 points from his 15 Premier League matches in charge since Amorim was sacked, the most of any team in the division. He also moved the team up to third in the table and secured a return to Champions League football next season.
Ireland’s friendly fixture against Grenada in Murcia on Saturday afternoon - effectively a B international - will be shown live on the RTE Player.
The news was confirmed by the RTE website on Thursday with the broadcast to begin shortly before the 5pm kick-off against a Grenada side ranked 163rd in the FIFA world rankings.
Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson is expected to cap several new players in a largely experimental squad including Newcastle United teenager Rory Finneran.
Commentator Darragh Maloney will be joined by pundit Alan Cawley on RTE’s coverage of the game.
All photos on TheSportsHacks are provided by Sportsfile.com
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