Hearts v Celtic – SFA appoint Steven McLean and John Beaton

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The Celtic Star

·20 janvier 2026

Hearts v Celtic – SFA appoint Steven McLean and John Beaton

Celtic’s full attention will turn to the massive Scottish Premiership match against Hearts on Sunday afternoon only after Thursday’s Europa League challenge in Italy against Bologna on Thursday evening…

Martin O’Neill watches on. Falkirk v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Falkirk Stadium, 14 January 2026. Photo Vagelis Georgariou

Martin O’Neill has won his first two league matches since returning and indeed has a 1005 domestic record in both stints as interim manager that bookmark the disastrous Wilfried Nancy reign that lasted just 33 days and cost Celtic a dozen league points, a cup final and a home defeat in Europe.

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Martin knows the importance of winning at Tynecastle and in the emergency meeting at Lennoxtown last night he will have been joined by Shaun Maloney in emphasising the urgency surrounding additional recruits, especially in the forward areas, for Sunday’s game. There are one tor two ITKs who are flagging up a more positive message this lunchtime but the proof will be in the pudding so we’ll wait and see.

Meanwhile the Scottish FA has announced the match official line-up for the Hearts versus Celtic match at Tynecastle this weekend.

Scottish Premiership. Wednesday 14 May 2025. Referee Steven McLean. Aberdeen 1-5 Celtic. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Steven McLean will have the whistle and running the lines will be his assistants David McGeachie and Jonathan Bell. John Beaton, currently nursing a hamstring injury picked up in the first half during Celtic’s hard-fought win at the Falkirk Stadium last Wednesday night, is the VAR and he will be assisted by Duncan Nicolson.

Referee John Beaton shows Liam Scales 5 of Celtic a yellow card during the Scottish Premiership match between Aberdeen and Celtic at Pittodrie on 10 August 2025. Aberdeen Pittodrie. Photo Stephen Dobson PSI (IMAGO)

Hopefully Celtic can get something against Bologna and come through the Europa League match injury free and ready for the Hearts game on Sunday which has a 3pm kick-off time.

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