Well, friends, we’re going to do it. Today has put us on the brink, it’s made it all but inevitable, and a week from now we’re going to get the trophy. It’s not impossible for all of this to unravel, but it would take a collapse of monumental proportions and that is not going to happen. Celtic are going to be the champions, and you know what? We deserve it.
And you know, I don’t mean the players and the manager, who do deserve it and they have certainly earned it. But we do. The fans. All of us. The Great Global Celtic Family. This has been a remarkably difficult year. I don’t think any of us expected it to be so tough.
I don’t think anyone expected the rollercoaster ride we’d go on or the ghastly negativity which would dog us right from the start. The loss to Killie in the League Cup was an early harbinger … we had no idea what awaited us. There was a period this season where it looked as if we might not get this, and a lot of us expressed our worst fears. There would have been an almighty reckoning had today not come to pass. In my view there still ought to be.
We shot ourselves in the foot more than once. We suffered a run of injuries unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The scale of it was horrific. We had to put up with two fan groups falling out with the club and getting banned, and the oceans of bad blood which were shed over that. We’ve been through the utterly surreal Liel Abada situation. And one quarter of the way through the season, the Ibrox club sacked The Mooch, formerly the media darling, and hired a rambling Belgian who more and more sounds like a dourer version of Pedro Caixinha … but the press loves this guy. Alan Pattullo of The Scotsman thought he should get a statue if he won the treble.
From the moment Rodgers was back he was having to deal with their garbage, and there are some of them have not let up. His getting snubbed in the manager of the year running is not even a surprise, nor is his Ibrox counterpart making the list instead.
Some of these people have brazenly lied in claiming they turned on Rodgers over results; bullshit. A lot of them said before this season even started that he had not faced a real challenge before now and essentially wrote off his previous accomplishments – including an Invincible treble – as being worth nothing more than footnotes in the history books basically on the grounds that “Ibrox wusnae ready.” Funny, I thought that word was on the badge.
He must want to scream in their faces. What self-control he has not to.
There is going to be time – not this week probably, because that will be about wrapping up the last of our business here – to talk about all the implications of this, but the important thing for all of us is that we are here, we have accomplished, as a club, what we set out to do and every one of us has played a role in getting us to this place.
For all that this club has been through this season, we have been through the most. We saw our dreams of building something under Ange taken away from us just days after we’d won the treble. The managerial search took a while, and in the end, we brought back a guy who some of the fans weren’t happy with. We then endured a ghastly summer window where our hopes that his return was the club showing ambition were dashed as it became clear that Lawwell & Sons were in full command and the manager’s wishes were being ignored.
That was our start to this campaign, before a ball was even kicked. Celtic, back in the slow lane. Celtic, dragging our feet. Celtic locked into mediocrity and nepotism. That was what we got for our loyalty and our faith. Screwed, and we had to watch the manager cut and increasingly frustrated figure as it became clear that he had been too.
We went out of the League Cup painfully early. Europe tantalised us with what might have been. Lazio at home was particularly crushing; from thinking we’d (deservedly) won the game to losing it within a couple of minutes … and the frustration of seeing key players lost to injuries at every turn was gutting. And then came the war with the club.
I don’t even want to go in to that. I agreed with the club’s stance, as everyone is well aware, but that cost us points and it made this season harder than it had to be. And it was never going to be easy. Because we are surrounded by people who do not wish us well.
The Honest Mistakes quotient was off the charts. VAR became the story of the campaign. Every single day if you wanted to know how your club was doing, or what it was doing, we had to wade through rivers of shit, media inspired guff, and even though we knew what they were trying to do that stuff wears you down, it gets to you, it sucks at your energy.
Every one of us has lamented the coverage we get. Every one of us has scorned the Ibrox love-in and the way every hire over there is “the guy”, the world beater who is going to knock us off the perch. The same gushing praise was being lavished on The Mooch, on Van Bronckhorst, on Gerrard, on Caixinha initially, on Warburton and always the narrative is the same; now the “real” challenge comes, now Celtic had better watch out.
And that, too, is tiresome, even thought it always ends the same way. These guys were counting the seconds until their title win and they were making their plans to milk every bit of it in the summer ahead. All of it has been snatched away from them.
For enduring it, we merit this. For suffering through it, we are entitled to today. For keeping the faith with our club, we were due it. For the support in the stands, and for fighting the good fight online, whether you’re a blogger, a vlogger, a podcaster, a commenter, someone who shares the articles or simply enjoys them in silence … without you lot there is no fan media, and so never think that your contributions don’t matter.
This is ours today. All of us. It’s our victory. It’s our success. We goddamned well earned it, and we are entitled to celebrate and enjoy ourselves and yes, even to gloat a little bit, to remind everyone who was laughing at us when that seven-point lead turned into their two-point advantage and they thought that from there on in they wouldn’t even see us in the road that as per usual they got the champagne out too early, they set themselves up to look stupid.
But we’re Celtic, by God, and Rodgers is the best manager who has worked in this league in my lifetime and there was no way that he was going to give this up without a fight, and as long as we only needed to win the games against them in order to get ourselves back in front, I always knew that we had more than a fighting chance. The aftermath of the Ibrox game was so celebratory because that was the day I knew, for sure, we’d win this league.
Today we’ve almost certainly done that, and so enjoy it. Because it’s yours. It’s ours. It’s what we’ve worked for and sweated for and bled all season for … and you know what? This was the one. If they were going to win a big one this would have been it, because we were vulnerable and we were taking punches from all sides … and my God how magnificent it is to be here in spite of all that. What a victory this is, and it would not have happened without us.
Was sitting at game today, trying to assure my fellow fans that “everything little thing, was going to be alright “. The last twenty minutes were hard going but it was only the 3 points that mattered.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail James, have a good night ?
Sorry I meant Hail Hail James have a good night!
Delighted to win today James but let’s not kid ourselves there are too many players there not fit to wear a Celtic jersey.Taylor,Scales,Palma,Kuhn,Oh,Yang,Tilio the list is endless.And 5m for Idah and 6m for Bernardo?Surely not we’ve blown enough money recently thanks to Lawwell and son.
James. Totally agree. I was quoted on here with my thoughts that I thought that we were letting them win to save them. How wrong can you be. That was in the midst of bad results and both Lawells still being there. Tonight, a time to reflect, home from game, lying in my garden, drinks flowing and for the first time this season, relaxed with a content smile on my face. Married to a bluenose who now thinks that if they can,t win it this year will they ever. On a side note, does 12 out of thirteen sound better than 10 n r o. HH, enjoy everybody
Say it like ye mean it Jim ?
Great article James – news blackout and went for a walk up the Cooley Mountains from 12.00 – 2.45 pm then looked the Celtic fc website and almost had the car off the road with delight! I have been a BR doubter – but the last 3-4 weeks he has proved to me what little I know about soccer. He is an elite manager – and even though today is great -there is a real sense of what have been if he had been able to run the show from day one. One final questions how many of their managers has help sack? Think there is another one to join the list
We had joy we had fun
We beat sevco 2-1
But the joy and the fun
Has only just begun
I think Seamus you need to revise the Village Idiot’s position as the No 1 when you get to see the Kenny Miller’s analysis on the AJ tackle….priceless! Ironically now too far in the area of the park when he was skelped himself. I don’t think he’s ever recovered from that episode ?
Today encapsulated our season! Moments of brilliance, verve and style, mixed with the usual obligatory nervousness at the end !
Nevertheless, who gives a flying feke! We did, what we set out to do! We won the game and now sit, on the brink of another title! One point required, from our 2 remaining games!
I’ve said that this would be one of the most satisfying title wins, for many a decade, and I stand by that ! Satisfaction and relief are the overriding emotions, as I head to my bed after a long, but comforting day!
Major kudos to our team for successfully negotiating this fixture, but I’d particularly like to praise two of our players !
I know it was a team effort, but I thought Forrest and Taylor were excellent today!
That may divide opinions but well done to both !
I’m a delighted Hoops fan…
What a rollercoaster of a day!! Well done Celtic! And Congratulations to you James mi amigo for keeping us all going with your well written and honest articles throughout the season. Streets ahead of the MSM charlatans with laptops. Enjoy tonight and tomorrow. I’m off, there’s another Guinness with my name on it waiting for me…
A very good article James, a true account of the ups and downs and the trials and tribulations we have had to experience during this topsy turvey season, It’s not been easy and you have amply covered the obstacles we have had to contend with. during a fraught campaign. We can all sit back proudly now for enduring it and bask in the afterglow of yet another league title success. I’m sure we are all looking forward now to the Cup Final with eager anticipation and the chance of yet another trophy that will be oue icing on the cake, and, if I am not mistaken, it will be trophy 118 and will equal the erroneous haul that the huns claim as being a world record. From that point onwards, it will be onwards and upwards as we continue to rub their big blue hooters in the dirt, with Brendan leading the charge.
Well done everyone involved in this successful season, We can enjoy our celebrations and relish the fact that there are a lot more to come.
This is definitely the time to celebrate have fun and look forward to the newly structured Champions league. It was a roller coaster at times but ultimately we got it done. Onto the cup final now. The summer requires a lot of work. That will hopefully take care of itself but now it is time for fun. Enjoy the next few week.
Greatest and tensest league title win since we stopped the EBT infused 10 NRO. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the footage of Lawwell and Desmond sitting together thick as thieves soaking up the jubilation as though they had somehow contributed! This league was won in spite of those two, not because of them! We must never forget BR had to do this with one hand tide behind his back, whilst the media threw as much sh#t at him as they could get away with! Well done Brendan Rodgers, well done this squad of players, well done us! You’re absolutely right James, we deserve this!
Thank God that’s over. The last 20 minutes were the longest test of nerves I can remember for some time. The missed penalty once again caused us so much anxiety when we should have put the game beyond them . The misses by Idah( how much is he worth), combined by Maeda standing offside and having his goal disallowed were so unnecessary. He was only yards from the last defender and must have known he was offside. Now that this game has probably won us the league again, the summer clear out can begin. So much to be grateful for this season, but if we want to improve we must open the cheque book and buy decent quality players, or Europe will once again prove to be an embarrassment.Keep Liewell well away from the transfer decisions. Onwards and upwards, Hail Hail
Yes James.
Sometimes Rogers looked like he was going through the motions, I think that the underwhelming transfer windows did that to him, but hat’s off to him,his staff, and everybody who has Celtic at heart.
Old man Keevins said, a lot of people owed our manager a huge apology, but stopped short of apologising himself, no surprise there, as his venomous poison pen has written some truly dark shit about our club, manager, and supporters.
Hail Hail.
Absolutely Delighted with the Result today .But Still Angry with the Celtic Board ? Regarding their Penny Pinching and Complacency/ Incompetence. I STILL Don’t Trust them( they need to Deliver Next Season)…..
“Loved every minute! I was ultra confident that we’d win, pity it wasn’t much more comfortable but perhaps even it victory it will highlight where we need to strengthen and just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Kenny Millers1 post match rant is hilarious, Sutton and the panel laughing at him and his stupid face incandescent with rage! When Kris Boyd is laughing at you, surely you know the game is up
Enjoyed it all the more with 25 quid on 2-1 and Matt to score.
Good summary James deffo a season of ups and downs and like yourself when the celebrated the home draw when we played them off the park you just knew they were punching above their weight.
Even Collum and VAR couldn’t help them. Miller on commentary duties embarrassed himself, he lowers the sky quality even more.
This likely League win is probably more satisfying because of the disastrous two transfer windows we’ve endured and BR must take credit for it considering what he was left to work with. Unlike some on here there is no way I would dump the number of players some are calling for.
If recruitment is left to BR in conjunction with the head of recruitment and Scouting network, OK’d by Brendan I’ll leave it up to them.Surely Lawell and Desmond have learned their lesson to keep their noses out of player recruitment, Give BR a reasonable budget that should be able to blow any Scottish club and even some middle of the road European clubs out the water. Lawell has always overplayed the poor us in Scottish Football card, Put this League to bed and that is 3 years Champions League money we’ll have had.This should give us the chance to upgrade our wage structure, attracting a wee bit higher grade of player and maybe even holding on to the likes of Matt O’riley for another couple of seasons. Let’s celebrate over the next two weeks and hopefully BR will at last get the backing from Desmond and this board to take the gloves off.