Martin Compston: I stood up for Celtic and nearly blew my audition | OneFootball

Martin Compston isn’t a man to let things fly if he doesn’t agree with it.

You could say it’s the Greenock boy in him, but when the circumstance arises that he feels someone is speaking untoward, Martin will let you know - especially if that thing is to do with Celtic.

Now known for his role in the hit TV police drama Line of Duty, amongst many other roles, the actor has hit the big time.

But back in his early days when most actors would have been fighting tooth and nail to get any gig, the Celtic fan almost blew a huge audition all because he stood up for the Lisbon Lions.

Martin was speaking on the latest edition of the Celtic View Podcast all about his rise to fame and his favourite Celtic memories when he mentioned how he was so close to blowing his chance at a role in the film all about Brian Clough and his 1960s and 1970s Derby County and Leeds United sides, The Damned United.

Speaking to the Celtic View Podcast about his audition for The Damned United, he said: “It was funny because I thought I blew the audition for that.

"The director Tom Hooper is quite an intense guy and he said to me during the audition that this Leeds team were the most successful of their era and I said ‘No they weren’t.

“I said Jock Stein’s Celtic was the most successful team of that era.

“So I took it as I blew the audition but you can’t let history be rewritten.

“Scots dominated those teams with Billy Bremner at Leeds, John O’Hare who I played in the film, there was a huge Scottish connection.

“Michael Sheen was phenomenal as Clough and it was amazing being a young apprentice at that time watching.”

Eventually getting the role, Martin has since seen his career go from strength to strength, but it’s been a double-edged sword, as the more he works, the fewer opportunities he gets to go to Celtic Park.

It’s not stopped him from following the Hoops wherever he is in the world, and along the way, he’s ensured he gets his fellow actors in the production to join him in becoming glorious Celtic fans.

He added: “More often than not there will be a game on and I will be going to watch it and people will be asking where I’m going.

“I got Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar (from Line of Duty) Celtic tops with AC-12 on them.

“Vicky did a video of her dancing with that top on and she can’t get her head around that many people now love her and a lot hate her!

“After season five of Line of Duty, I took Stephen Graham to a game. It was the start of the league and Hearts were top. I think we beat them 5-1 and the stadium was rocking and we were all doing the Huddle.

“He was like ‘What is this all about, is it like this all the time?’ and I was like aye. He’s got a soft spot for us now.

“More often than not there’s Celtic fans on crews and Rangers fans as well that you have banter with.

“There was a time when I was filming The Nest and the cast were Celtic fans but the crew were the other side.

“It was the cup final when Jullien scored and we were down to 10 men. They thought it was their time and we were laughing going ‘You’ll never beat us!’”