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Sky Sports have taken down a video of pundit Jamie O’Hara clashing with a Celtic supporter, after facing a backlash for his claim League One side Stockport County would win the Scottish Premiership.
O’Hara, the former Tottenham and Wolves midfielder, was involved in a discussion with Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes on Sky Sports News.
Discussion initially centered around Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation last month, with Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy emerging as a candidate for the position.
I think he is a forward thinking and progressive coach. He is a bit of a football philosopher. When these names arise you do all your research, you look into what they have achieved, and I can understand why he’s a candidate, absolutely, no doubt about it.
But I can see that, obviously there is a comparison between the Scottish game and MLS pros and cons. I know Jamie’s a massive fan of Scottish football, but Celtic are still a huge draw. Celtic are a massive draw. So I’m pretty sure there’ll be quite a few on the shortlist.’
O’Hara hit back by claiming Celtic were not a ‘massive draw’, claiming the Scottish giants have been ‘custard pied’ by potential candidates for the position.
Sky Sports have deleted a clip after pundit Jamie O’Hara, right, enraged Scottish football fans by claiming League One side Stockport County could win the Scottish Premiership
O’Hara claimed Celtic fans could not claim they are a ‘big club’ after Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerged as the favorite for their vacant managerial position
‘You are looking at a manager from the MLS, you can’t tell me you are a big club when you are looking at a manager from the MLS.
‘What manager in the MLS gets a massive job?’
Dykes responded by referencing the example of Ange Postecoglou, who arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos and went on to win five domestic honors at the club.
Postecoglou, after leading Celtic to a domestic treble in 2023, went on to take charge of Tottenham and oversee their Europa League triumph last season to end a 17-year trophy drought.
Dykes added that O’Hara was ‘compromised’ in his views, claiming the pundit ‘constantly has a bad word to say about Scottish football.’
The debate continued with O’Hara pointing to recent power rankings by statisticians Opta, which deemed the Scottish Premiership to be the 39th strongest league in the world, two behind League One in the EFL.
“You can’t get away from the fact that you are the 39th ranked league in the world, which is pretty shocking,” O’Hara said.
‘Celtic are a big club, of course they are, I’m not saying they are not.
O’Hara took aim at the Scottish Premiership after Opta deemed it to be the 39th strongest league in the world, two behind League One in the EFL
The pundit was told he had ‘made a fool of himself’ after he had claimed League One leaders Stockport County would win the Scottish Premiership
This season Stockport County are top of League One. Stockport County would go and win the Scottish Premier League this year, they would, they would win the Premier League. Hearts are top, Hearts.
‘I am basing it on this season what I have watched of Celtic and Rangers.’
In response, Dykes labeled O’Hara’s claim as ‘nonsense’ and told the pundit ‘you have made a fool of yourself Jamie.’
The clip was initially uploaded on social media and the Sky Sports website with the headline ‘Celtic: Jamie O’Hara clashes with Celtic fan on Sky Sports News’, before being taken down amid a backlash from fans.
Several fans hit out at the broadcaster, who are currently the main broadcaster of the Scottish Premiership.
The SPFL extended a deal with Sky back in 2022, with the £30million per season deal giving the broadcaster rights to show 60 Premiership matches live per season until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.
‘This is clear evidence that Sky Sports, who already treat us like a 2nd class citizen with our TV deal, use their platform to mock us and rip the p***,’ one wrote on social media.
I watched the full exchange and if I was the editor of that show I’d be embarrassed at the way the presenter and O’Hara conducted themselves.
A video of the debate on the Sky Sports website was later taken down by the broadcaster
Sky Sports received a backlash from Celtic supporters regarding O’Hara’s comments
‘They should be ashamed and I’m not surprised they deleted the entire segment from their own social media platforms because it was bang out of order.
‘But the internet never forgets and Sky Sports need to call out for their unprofessional hit job on John, who was excellent, and the disrespect shown to our national game.’
Another responded: ‘What got me was this is a Sky Sports pundit saying this. Bearing in mind Sky do invest in Scottish Football although you might argue not enough, but they do.
‘Here’s one of their own slating a product that we pay through the nose to watch on their channels.’
‘They have deleted it – suggesting they know how embarrassing it is,’ a third wrote.
