When you see Bobby Petta singing along to ‘Let The People Sing’ it suggests that a special day is ahead.
Yesterday’s derby was always going to be significant- a breakthrough or the latest in a depressing list of recent disappointments.
The post-match satisfaction was partly down to avoiding failure that many had feared even if most of the omens going into the match were positive.
Over the last few seasons the Celtic support hasn’t been a particularly happy family, at times downright miserable and certainly argumentative.
The latter days of Martin O’Neill’s reign were painful, Gordon Strachan never convinced and the Tony Mowbray project was dead in the water as quickly as you could say ‘take it on the chin’.
Less than a year on from losing to Ross County and a 4-0 hammering from St Mirren, Neil Lennon had gathered together a team capable of more than mounting a challenge.
The supporters are supporting and there is belief that the club is moving forward.
Any sort of football that kept a challenge going into February would have been welcomed this season by a support desperate to see their club exert their supposed financial advantage onto the pitch from the balance sheet.
Amazingly Lennon has done that and more. Not only has he put together a team to contest the honours he’s achieving it playing a fast eye-catching brand of football performed by a young team that appears to be getting better on a weekly basis.
Twelve months ago Emilio Izaguirre, Gary Hooper and Biram Kayal were only known to statos, Joe Ledley and Kris Commons were barely on the radar. Mark Wilson was injury jinxed and Scott Brown was the captain because there was no-one else for the armband. Charlie Mulgrew was a reject that took annoyingly good free kicks.
The current management team were an even more unlikely bunch. Lennon and Alan Thompson were starting out in the management business in charge of Celtic and Newcastle’s reserve side’s. Johan Mjallby was involved with Swedish television and Gary Parker was doing some scouting work for Aston Villa in-between the day job as a painter and decorator.
With the money raised from the sales of Aiden McGeady, Artur Boruc and Stephen McManus, Lennon has put together a squad to be proud of with the clock ticking down on his twelve month contract.
Rarely has a Celtic team gone into a Rangers match with so much expectations- and delivered.
After two dominating performances at Ibrox hopes couldn’t have been higher amongst the fans that their team were about to deliver a telling blow. Past experience however braced them for a letdown with Walter Smith the past master in denying the odds and form to leave Celtic dejected.
The build up had been intense, fresh from the El Hadji-Diouf and Scott Brown exchanges Smith had stirred things up further by wading into the conspiracy argument ignited by Gordon Strachan.
Celtic’s daunting schedule through January and February had been completed in style. Three wins in ten days over Aberdeen, a convincing win over Hearts and winning return to Tannadice were sandwiched around a battling draw by ten men against Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
Going into the match the main question about the team would be whether Anthony Stokes started or not.
Despite winning at Ibrox in January Lennon had been brave enough to change his personnel and tactics for the Scottish Cup tie.
He did it again yesterday and it worked a treat.
There was no moral victory from the ashes of defeat.
Celtic played as we had hoped. They played as a team and lived up to their billing. Players excelled in their own challenges and knew what was required within the framework of the team.
The scenes of celebration were emphatic in the stands but on the pitch the players were restrained at the final whistle.
They had did their job, it wasn’t a heroic or super-human effort. They performed as they would have expected to.
Rangers rarely threatened, when they did Celtic never panicked. When Celtic attacked, when Gary Hooper had the ball they were scared.
After the match Lennon was calm and in control.
In the Sky studio he analysed the match logically, complimented the performance of his players and got on well with Neil McCann and John Collins who respected his views.
Outside the stadium it would have taken a plastic surgeon to get the smile off the faces of the Celtic support.
Walking across the car park youth team striker James Keatings was a happy bhoy and even if grumpy auld lion John Fallon couldn’t resist a pop or two at Iain Brines he was chuffed at Lennon’s triumph.
Paradise smiled again.
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