Celtic play down O'Neill-Quinn row
Martin O’Neill and Brian Quinn have tried to play down a public dispute between the two prime movers at Celtic Park.
Quinn risked sparking a row with O’Neill over player salaries at the club when he rang a wrong mobile number and left a message with a teenage girl from Walsall.
Quinn, responding to an interview with O’Neill in which the Celtic manager took issue with his chairman’s figures, inadvertently phoned Walsall teenager Kayley Elkington instead of a club public relations officer.
The Hoops’ chairman admits he made the call but insists he has already cleared the air with the manager.
Quinn said: “I have had a chat with Martin and I will take him through the salary bill with the help of a bottle of wine and my abacus.”
O’Neill, meanwhile, has laughed off the incident. He said: “As I said last week, there is absolutely no friction between myself, the chairman and the board. “In fact, I actually find the whole incident quite amusing.”
Quinn’s call was made after O’Neill disputed in a radio interview claims by the Celtic chairman that the club’s wage bill was comparable to the top teams in the Premiership.
Quinn was quoted in the Scottish Sun as saying in the message: “I’m trying to head off yet another storm created by our esteemed manager who has now, I believe, contradicted the numbers I used in the radio interview given this morning.”
Quinn added in the call: “I’m not going to be made a liar by Martin O’Neill so you are going to have to use your skills to try and defuse this thing. Bye.”
The move to quell the row was predicted by general secretary of the Celtic Supporters Association, Jim Divers, who is convinced the pair will patch up their differences.
He said: “I expect money to be made available in the summer and Martin O’Neill will stay. As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a row and the misunderstanding will be resolved quickly.
“I’m sure the chairman and the manager will look at it and feel the situation has been mis-interpreted.
“Once the manager and the chairman speak, I am sure they will clear the air but they will keep all that in-house.
“Managers and chairmen don’t always see eye-to-eye. But they have worked together for some time, discussing money and transfers, so I don’t see it as embarrassing at all.”
Divers is now hoping Quinn and O’Neill will work together to make Craig Bellamy’s loan move permanent.
The Wales striker has become a fans’ favourite at Celtic Park after helping the club gain a two-point advantage over Rangers in the Bank of Scotland Premier League and reach the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final since arriving from Newcastle.
Divers added: “I expect money to be made available to keep Craig Bellamy - that’s the short and sweet answer.
“We know there will be a movement of players in and we have to re-group if we have any chance of success next season. I expect a few new arrivals in the summer.
“The most important thing is Craig Bellamy and it is really important that the club do their best to keep him.
“I hope the lure of the Champions League entices Bellamy to stay.”
