Managers & Player Biogs | Celtic Books | Media

Martin O'Neill

Title: The Biography
Author: Alex Montgomery
Hardbback published: April 2003
ISBN: 1852279990
Paperback published: February 2005
ISBN: 075350958X

Martin O'Neill is the most successful and intriguing of the new manager/coaches to emerge from British football. This biography deals with every aspect of O'Neill's life and career from the early days as a player in Northern Ireland to joining the tyrannical Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest. It chronicles O'Neill's managerial triumphs from non-league Grantham Town, Shepshed Dynamo and Wycombe Wanderers, to Norwich City and Leicester City, then on to Celtic where he broke Rangers monopoly on Scottish football. The author offers an insight into the beliefs, the lifestyle, the ambitions, the hopes and the fears of a private and complex football man. He examines the effect sectarianism had on O'Neill's formative years and how the prosperity he has brought to all his clubs as player and manager was only to be expected by those who knew his intensity of purpose from the moment he quit law studies and left his Kilrea home in 1971. O'Neill was the first Roman Catholic captain of Northern Ireland, under manager Billy Bingham - it was a partnership that was to produce unprecedented success for the Northern Irish in the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. But his defining career moment came before Nottingham Forest's first European Cup final when he was dropped by Clough. The impact that had on the young Martin O'Neill formed his philosophy in dealing with players in years to come.

Title: The Martin O'Neill Story
Authors: Anna Smith, David McCarthy
Paperback published: June 2001
ISBN: 1901603148




"What a season it's been for Celtic and what a dream start it's been for Martin O'Neill in his first year as manager of Celtic Football Club. Celtic fans now have a chance to get an insight into the life of a great player's favourile and an inspirational manager. The Martin O'Neill Story chronicles the remarkable story of the Celtic manager from his humble beginnings in Kilrea, County Derry as one of nine children, to European Cup glory with Nottingham Forest, and charts his managerial career all the way to Celtic Park.

Title: The Martin O'Neill Story
Author: Geoff Peters
Paperback published: 1998
ISBN: 0953284905




From before O'Neills time with Celtic but may be of interest.

Leicester City welcome Martin O'Neill, a new messiah
Football fans are well aware of what Martin O'Neill has achieved in his time with Leicester City Football Club. Transforming a yo-yo club into a Premiership regular along with winning a trophy and playing in Europe is all down to O'Neill and his staff. I was delighted to be able to write about such a fascinating subject. The charismatic former Northern Ireland captain is a breath of fresh air in football management.



Title: Neil Lennon - Man and Bhoy
Authors: Neil Lennon
Hardback published: June 2006
ISBN: 13978000723347



For a player who has been subject to so much controversy Neil Lennon’s autobiography was always likely to be an interesting read.
This is certainly the case with Man and Bhoy as Lennon takes the chance to tell his story of a career which has never seen him too far from often unwanted and unwarranted media spotlight.
Lennon’s admission that he suffers from depression, and has done so since his days at Leicester City, is undoubtedly the most surprising revelation in the book, while the confirmation that Rangers were once interested in the Bhoy from Lurgan, will also raise some eye-brows.
The death threats that ended his Northern Ireland career, sectarian attacks by Rangers fans and the notorious Thugs and Thieves episode are all naturally covered in some depth.
But amid the off-field problems involving hate-fuelled and bigoted Rangers fans and the lies of the Daily Record it is thankfully not forgotten that Neil Lennon is first and foremost a footballer - and a very fine and successful one at that.
Man and Bhoy naturally charts Lennon’s career from his early days as a talented but homesick YTS at Motherwell to his stints at Manchester City, Crewe and Leicester before his dream move to Celtic.
In many ways the early part of Lennon’s career is typical of so many pros who have worked their way up through the lower leagues, and while hardly ground-breaking the book does still provide an interesting insight into Lennon’s development as a player and the wheeling and dealing that goes on behind the scenes at every football club.
Of course since Lennon moved to Celtic Park his playing career has also had its share of controversy with the midfielder often vilified by the media and rival supporters, with both groups having somewhat questionable motives for their antics.
In telling his side of the story Lennon admits he is no Saint and that he has made mistakes. But ultimately he does come across as a decent, likeable and ordinary guy who has been subject to some extraordinary treatment.
The reason for that treatment maybe open to debate but reading this book you can’t help but wonder why Neil Lennon of Leicester City did not provoke anywhere near the extreme animosity and hositility that Neil Lennon of Celtic has endured.
It may not be a classic but Man and Bhoy is an enjoyable, interesting and informative account of a Celtic hero and – through little fault of his own – the most controversial figure of a generation in Scottish football.