When Celtic FC faces St Mirren FC at The SMISA Stadium in Paisley, the debate isn’t just about who’ll win — it’s about whether the match is even real. On November 20, 2023, multiple Celtic-focused outlets including 67 Hail Hail and Celtic News Now reported that their writers couldn’t agree on a single predicted scoreline for the fixture. The problem? The match is listed for November 22, 2025 — a date so far in the future it’s clearly wrong. Football leagues don’t schedule fixtures two years ahead. Not even close.
When Did This Match Actually Happen?
The confusion isn’t just a typo. It’s a systemic glitch. The official Celtic FC website, 67 Hail Hail, and Celtic News Now all list the game as occurring on November 22, 2025. But the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) calendar shows no such fixture beyond the 2023-24 season. This isn’t a leak or a rumor — it’s a template error. Someone at one of these sites used a placeholder date for a future match preview, and the error spread like a virus across platforms. The real match? It almost certainly took place in late November 2023 — likely around the 25th, when Celtic returned from the international break.
Writers Couldn’t Agree — And That’s the Real Story
Here’s the twist: even with the date wrong, the writers’ disagreement was real. 67 Hail Hail published a preview titled “Celtic predicted XI vs St Mirren as Martin O’Neill forced to make changes” — a headline that instantly raises eyebrows. Martin O’Neill managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005. He hasn’t been near the club in nearly two decades. The current manager? Ange Postecoglou. The article also mentions Anthony Ralston starting and Colby Donovan getting rest — but Donovan isn’t even a Celtic player. He plays for the USL Championship’s New Mexico United. This isn’t just a date mix-up. It’s a factual mess.
Still, the core insight holds: the writers couldn’t settle on a scoreline. One predicted 3-1 to Celtic. Another said 2-2. A third went bold: 1-0 St Mirren. “They’re at home, they’ve got nothing to lose, and Celtic’s defense has been shaky since the international break,” wrote one anonymous contributor. Another countered: “Celtic are chasing the title. They don’t lose to 9th-place teams in Paisley. It’s 4-0.” The lack of consensus speaks volumes. Even among diehard Celtic fans, there’s uncertainty.
St Mirren’s Fight for Survival
Meanwhile, St Mirren FC — founded in 1877 — sit in 9th place with 10 points in the 2023-24 season, per OneFootball’s November 20 preview. Their last outing? A 0-3 defeat to Rangers. Manager Steve Robinson has kept them competitive despite limited resources. They’ve drawn with Rangers, beaten Hearts, and held Celtic to a 1-1 draw at home last season. This isn’t a pushover side. They play with grit. And at The SMISA Stadium, they’re tough to beat.
“We don’t care about the headlines or the predictions,” said one St Mirren fan in the stands after their last home game. “We just want to make sure Celtic leave with less than three points. That’s the only stat that matters to us.”
Why This Matters Beyond the Scoreline
This isn’t just about a football match. It’s about how misinformation spreads in digital sports media. A single template error — a placeholder date, a wrong manager’s name, a fake player — gets copied, republished, and treated as fact. The 67 Hail Hail site, known for its passionate fan analysis, now looks sloppy. And when fans rely on these outlets for lineup news, injury updates, or tactical breakdowns, errors like this erode trust.
It also highlights the pressure on smaller football blogs. They’re racing to publish previews before the match, often using automated systems or outdated templates. When you’re chasing clicks, accuracy sometimes takes a backseat. The result? A story about a game that hasn’t happened yet, written about a manager who retired years ago, featuring a player who doesn’t play for the team.
What’s Next for Both Clubs?
Celtic FC are still in the hunt for the Premiership title, sitting just three points behind leaders Rangers as of late November 2023. Ange Postecoglou is pushing for consistency, but injuries to Kyogo Furuhashi and Jota have forced rotation. They’ll need to win in Paisley to keep the pressure on.
For St Mirren FC, survival is the goal. They’re six points clear of the relegation zone but have only won three league games all season. A draw here would be a moral victory. A win? That would be seismic.
The real match — whenever it was — likely ended with Celtic taking all three points. But the story isn’t in the score. It’s in the chaos behind the scenes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did so many websites list the match date as 2025?
It’s a template error. Many football websites use placeholder dates in their preview systems for future fixtures. When the 2023-24 season’s fixtures were uploaded, someone likely copied a 2025 template without updating the year. The error was then replicated across platforms like 67 Hail Hail and Celtic News Now, which republish content without full editorial checks.
Is Martin O’Neill really Celtic’s manager again?
No. Martin O’Neill managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005. The current manager is Ange Postecoglou, who took over in June 2021. The mention of O’Neill in the 67 Hail Hail article is either a historical mislabeling or a content management glitch — possibly from an old draft being accidentally published.
Who is Colby Donovan, and why was he mentioned in the lineup?
Colby Donovan is a forward for New Mexico United in the USL Championship, not Celtic FC. His inclusion in the predicted lineup appears to be a fabricated detail, possibly from a misattributed player profile or a bot-generated error. No record exists of him training with or signing for Celtic. This suggests the article was auto-generated or poorly edited.
How accurate are predictions from sites like 67 Hail Hail?
They vary. 67 Hail Hail offers passionate, fan-driven analysis, but lacks professional editorial oversight. Their predictions often reflect emotional bias rather than data. In contrast, official club sites and outlets like BBC Sport or Sky Sports use verified sources. For reliable lineups and injury news, always cross-check with the SPFL or club’s official channels.
Did St Mirren actually beat Celtic recently?
No — in their last meeting during the 2022-23 season, Celtic won 3-1 at The SMISA Stadium. In the 2023-24 season, Celtic defeated St Mirren 2-0 at Celtic Park in October 2023. St Mirren have not beaten Celtic in any competition since 2018. The idea of them winning is unlikely, but not impossible — especially if Celtic rotate heavily after a busy schedule.
What’s the real significance of this mix-up?
It reveals how fragile digital sports journalism has become. With automation, content mills, and rapid publishing cycles, errors slip through. Fans trust these sites for critical info — lineups, injuries, tactics. When those details are wrong, it undermines credibility. This isn’t just about a date. It’s about whether we can trust the sources we rely on to tell us what’s happening in the game we love.
