Twenty years ago today Celtic fans were going through one of the most stressful but ultimately rewarding experiences ever.
All season long it had been about 10-in-a-row as Walter Smith gathered an awesome collection of stars to eradicate Jock Stein’s Celtic side from the record books.
Brian Laudrup agreed to stay on for another season alongside true blues like Ally McCoist, Stuart McCall and Andy Goram as the giants from Serie A in the shape of Marco Negri, Lorenzo Amoruso, Jonas Thern, Rino Gattuso and Sergio Porrino.
In contrast Celtic had started pre-season training without a manager, Paolo di Canio and Jorge Cadette were about to follow Pierre van Hooijdonk out the door.
Wim Jansen was appointed to a welter of criticism with Coventry reserve Jonathan Gould and Darren Jackson among the first signings brought in to halt the Ibrox party.
A dread-locked Swede followed Jansen from Feyenoord, Marc Rieper arrived from West Ham early in the season with Paul Lambert and Harald Brattbakk brought in during the winter.
The title race developed into a stumble in the spring with Hearts at one stage making a bid to come out on top.
WE STOPPED THE TEN pic.twitter.com/oDfPAkrYWi
— The Notorious CSC ???????? (@TheNotoriousCSC) May 9, 2018
20 years since this glorious day. God bless everyone of that squad and Wim the Tim ???????? pic.twitter.com/heIdFsE4uw
— South Wales No1 CSC (@SouthWales1CSC) May 9, 2018
This day in 1998 were you on the Park ? I was ???????????? pic.twitter.com/0TU6WUzDi7
— Celtic Collectibles (@CollectCelticFC) May 9, 2018
The alternative angle of the day we stopped the ten.
Go on Henrik. pic.twitter.com/l4e4x542We
— A Grand Auld Team (@FritzAGrandAuld) May 9, 2018
#OnThisDay 20 years ago @CelticFC beat St Johnstone 2-0 to win the league and stop 10 in a row. What a day, one of the best ever???? pic.twitter.com/l0NFs6XlUb
— Colm (@cohcfc) May 9, 2018
20 years ago today, 9 years of torture came to and end, we said Cheerio to 10 in a row, what a day that was, what a weekend that was ???????????????????? #smelltheglove pic.twitter.com/zUYWgxtsEQ
— thegreenanwhite (@JimGreenan) May 9, 2018
20 years ago today… ??
????? #CelticFC ‘stopped the ten’ #OnThisDay in 1998! pic.twitter.com/gCHf7Bhz7C
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) May 9, 2018
Beautiful ???? https://t.co/fQJgosIeqR
— Simon Donnelly (@SimonDonnelly13) May 9, 2018
20 years ago we stopped 10 now we’re going for 10 HH pic.twitter.com/UjruwoGgSV
— Mark1980 (@markybhoy1980) May 9, 2018
With two games to go it was in Rangers (IL) hands but as time stood still on Bobby Tait’s watch Ally Mitchell scored an injury time winner for Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
The following day at Dunfermline Celtic had the title in their hands but a late equaliser meant that the destination of the1997/98 title would be decided on the final day.
A win for Celtic at home to St Johnstone would been enough to stop 10-in-a-row. Dave Murray had a helicopter booked to fly his stars from their final match at Tannadice to join the 10-in-a-row party at Ibrox.
In a match full of incredible tension Brattbakk added to Henrik Larsson’s early goal to deliver Celtic’s first title in a decade, the Ibrox bubble was burst.
Murray took it badly, twenty years on the old Rangers club is in the final stages of liquidation. The tribute act is treading water while Celtic celebrate 7-in-a-row.
If it wasn’t for Murray’s tax cons Celtic fans would be celebrating 21-in-a-row this weekend.