As the Scottish Cup final looms, Neil Lennon has issued a stark warning to his former club Celtic: “underdogs bite.” The Dunfermline Athletic manager, who won multiple trophies as both a player and a boss at Parkhead, is determined to engineer one of the competition’s great shocks when the sides meet at Hampden on Saturday.
The Championship outfit have already defied the odds this season, eliminating top-flight opponents Hibernian, Aberdeen, and Falkirk en route to the showpiece. That run has not only secured their place in the final but, according to Lennon, generated a powerful “inner belief” within the squad. Far from treating the occasion as a mere day out, the Pars are intent on seizing their moment.
Lennon has been irked by pre-match narratives he considers “disrespectful.” He highlighted remarks about Martin O’Neill lifting the trophy alongside Celtic captain Callum McGregor, and suggestions that had O’Neill been appointed earlier, the Glasgow side would be chasing a treble. “I wouldn’t dismiss us,” Lennon retorted. “We’re the underdogs, but underdogs bite.”
The Dunfermline boss admitted that such slights have added motivation. “Yes, it annoys me. But it just adds fuel, so it’s great,” he said, reiterating that his team will arrive at Hampden with quiet confidence, not arrogance. He is under no illusions about the scale of the task facing a Celtic side brimming with quality, but the dismissive tone has strengthened the visitors’ resolve.
The lead-up to the final has not been wholly smooth for Dunfermline. Their push for promotion to the Premiership ended in heartbreak with a play-off semi-final defeat by Partick Thistle just last week. Yet Lennon insists the disappointment has not dampened their spirit; if anything, it has sharpened their focus on delivering a performance worthy of the stage.
In a double boost for the Fifers, striker Zak Rudden is poised to return after over three months out with injury. Additionally, goalkeeper Aston Oxborough will be available again on loan from Motherwell after his parent club temporarily recalled him. These reinforcements could prove pivotal as Dunfermline seek to frustrate Celtic’s star-studded attack.
The subplot surrounding Lennon and O’Neill adds another layer of intrigue. The 54-year-old bristles at being labelled O’Neill’s apprentice, calling it “disrespectful.” Having spent a decade working alongside the Northern Irishman during his storied first spell at Celtic, Lennon feels that description undersells their professional relationship. He will instead cherish the “surreal” experience of pitting his wits against the man who shaped so much of his coaching philosophy.
Lennon was effusive in his praise for O’Neill’s broader achievements, particularly at Leicester City. “Everyone talks about what he did at Celtic, but what he did at Leicester was incredible,” Lennon said, pointing to four top-10 Premier League finishes and three League Cup finals on a fraction of the budget available to rivals. “If that were a modern-day manager, he’d be going to Bayern Munich or somewhere like that.”
The 2025 Scottish Cup final is scheduled for Saturday, 23 May, with a 15:00 BST kick-off. Fans can follow the action live on BBC One Scotland, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds, and Radio Scotland, with comprehensive coverage also available on the BBC Sport website and app.
For Dunfermline, the match represents far more than a shot at silverware. It is a chance to etch their names into folklore, to prove that second-tier status is no barrier to glory. Under Lennon’s guidance, they have already shown they can topple Premiership opposition; now they must deliver the ultimate statement at the national stadium.
As the two sides prepare to run out at Hampden, the sense of occasion is palpable. Celtic will be expected to dominate, but Lennon’s unyielding message resonates: “underdogs bite.” Whether that bite is sharp enough to sink the champions remains to be seen, but Dunfermline will not be silenced without a fight.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
