It was a memorable day out at Livingston for every Celtic fan as they watched their team take a big step towards the title and kick a favoured media theme into the long grass.
Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon never managed a win at the Toni Macaroni but with the pressure on, the other contenders drawing level in the Premiership race Ange Postecoglou came up with a bold, unexpected team selection and deployed tactics that snatched the initiative from Davie Martindale’s side. And took full points.
For one young fan the day got even better after the final whistle. From the centre of the park Tony Ralston headed towards the away support, picked out a fan, handed over his shirt, signed it and shook hands on the deal!
Someone captured it all on video with the warmth and rapport between the defender and the Celtic support obvious to all.
Boney Tony at the Macaroni pic.twitter.com/J45DxlwcCL
— Teslatims (@cscirvineno1) March 6, 2022
Ralston has been at Celtic since his primary school days but not in the darkest days of last season would be have dreamed about where he would be in 2022.
Snubbed by Neil Lennon, when Hatem Abd Elhamed and Jeremie Frimpong were sold in January the Irishman turned to Jonjoe Kenny to play at right-back even though Ralston was man-of-the-match in his one and only appearance- in a 0-0 draw against Livi in January when 14 players were isolating post Dubai.
That all seems like another world, a cloudy, slow-moving nightmare played out at the worst possible time.
With eight matches left to play, five of them at Celtic Park the title is currently in Celtic’s hands with Ralston and his team-mates looking increasingly assured in what they are doing.
Love the way in background Ange greets wee girl and even gets security to take photo
Lennon could have destroyed this young mans career, thanks to Ange things are going in the right direction for him now.
Top man. Ange had turned his career around.
Tony Ralston – 100% pure class. HH