Former Celtic manager Martin O’Neill reflected on his Celtic side completing the Treble against Hibs with a 3-0 win in the Scottish Cup Final on this day in 2001 and also looked ahead to Ange Postecoglou taking his own Celtic side to Hampden next Saturday looking to win their own treble, which would be a record breaking eighth for the football club.
Looking back at the his own Treble winning season in 2001 Martin O’Neill appreciates the scale of the achievement given the gap that had existed between Celtic and Rangers during the previous season.
“It was the third part of the treble. We had already won the League and the League Cup too, so I suppose we were going into the game with a little bit pf pressure. Hibs were very good at the time, managed by Alex McLeish at the time, so I knew that they would provide really stiff opposition, as was the case. But we overcame them at the end and it was a great victory.
“I suppose that the Treble didn’t really sink in, not evening that evening but probably about 48 hours later, that we’d actually done it. So yes, a terrific day.
“I think the remit was to try to close the gap on Rangers in the first place. I think that the gap had been twenty-odd points or shoemthing like that. So that was the case, if you could sneak a cup win along the way that would be genuine icing on the cake but for us to take all three competitions, to win the league so convincingly as well was absolute manor from heaven.
Asked about the current Celtic team having the opportunity to do what his team achieved back in 2001 by winning the Scottish Cup Final to complete the Treble Martin O’Neill had this to say.
“Very much so, the are very good. I went to the semi-final against (the)Rangers so now having won that game they’ve got this great opportunity to win the Treble and I think it will be no-more than they deserve, if that is going to be the case.
“Ange Postecoglou has done a fantastic job at the football club and he deserves that, and the players deserve it as well because they have been magnificent all season,” Martin O’Neill stated.
Celtic play Aberdeen at Celtic Park tomorrow lunchtime to conclude their Scottish Premiership campaign before receiving the trophy for the 11th time in 12 seasons before going to Hampden next Saturday to take on Inverness Caley Thistle in the Scottish Cup Final where Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side will be looking at completing their own Treble.
Here’s Martin O’Neill talking about his treble and the one that Ange Postecoglou can win next weekend.
#OTD in 2001, @CelticFC defeated Hibernian 3-0 in the Scottish FA Cup final to complete an historic treble. It was an incredible end to my first season in charge and I hope the current team can complete their own treble on June 3rd. #HailHail pic.twitter.com/hC30IXzZKE
— Martin O’Neill (@moneill31) May 26, 2023
