Brendan’s bhoys lap up the sunshine in Dubai
Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v Aberdeen - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - July 31, 2022 Celtic players in a huddle before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
After the events of January 2021 it is likely to be a long, long time before Celtic officially visit Dubai.
With lockdown restrictions cranked up in Scotland Neil Lennon’s squad flew out to the UAE for a morale boosting week of training in the sunshine that turned out to symbolise a season of disastrous decision making.
Pictures of players drinking poolside were met with hostility across the Scottish population and brought comment from the Government.
Celtic fans were far from impressed by the training cam which came on the back of losing at Ibrox as the SPFL title slipped out of sight.
Dubai does however have a magnetic appeal to footballers, almost certainly Instagram will also be involves with boating pictures a particular favourite.
After rounding off the first part of the season with four successive wins the current Celtic squad are most certainly in the good books with the supporters.
Eleven days after the win over St Mirren getting some sunshine and unwinding should do Tony Ralston, Stephen Welsh, Matt O’Riley and Paulo Bernardo the world of good.
A week today the backdrop will be very different as Buckie Thistle visit Glasgow with the target of two trophies to claim before the end of the season- and possibly more sunshine back in Dubai.