THE year is 2013, the final whistle has just blown, Celtic have beaten St. Johnstone to secure their second successive league title under the leadership of Neil Lennon.
Winning two consecutive domestic league titles, while always a great achievement, is not too uncommon for a club like Celtic, but something, somehow was different. As expected, the players embraced one another, the manager made his way onto the pitch and the fans joyously screamed at the top of their lungs.
But once the natural crescendo of that famous Parkhead roar had been reached, a chant could be heard swirling around those hallowed grounds – the fans could smell blood, and they were letting their team know exactly what they want, eight more, let’s do 10-in-a-row!
A shark goes into attack mode when it smells blood in the water. It is a clear signal that something, somewhere is wounded and bleeding. They realise the weakened condition of their prey and in return, they do exactly what they have evolved to do, take advantage of the situation without a moment’s hesitation.
This is where Celtic stood after winning the 2012/13 Scottish Premiership. Rangers entered administration in February 2012, liquidation the following October and ultimately ended up in the fourth tier of Scottish football. This chant echoing around the home ground of Celtic Football Club was a natural progression from the moment The Hoops’ arch-rivals were removed from Scotland’s topflight, but was perhaps the first time it had been acknowledged in unison from the Celtic faithful. And from that day on, with each passing game, the dream has moved closer to becoming a reality.
When Arsenal Football Club went the entire 2003/04 Premier League season unbeaten, it became known as the immaculate season. Celtic’s domination of Scottish football continued with their recent 1-0 victory over Rangers in the League Cup final at Hampden Park. This meant that Celtic have now won 10 consecutive domestic trophies, and if this vein of form continues, they could soon answer the fans call for 10 League titles back to back. After their 2012 financial demise, it took Rangers until 2016 to return to the topflight, but now, the Celtics have yet again established their dominance with this latest win.
Celtic fans couldn’t be happier to be ending the year with this amazing achievement, and needless to say their loyalty to their team has done nothing but strengthen even further. Sports betting portals are also showing extremely favourable odds for the team, which has proven time and time again, that it will not step down until it emerges a winner, and with the never-ending popularity of gambling in the UK, there is no doubt that more and more fans will show their loyalty and trust towards their team by placing bets in favour of it.
And even those that are not fans of Celtic and have accused them of having it easy during these years, when looking at how this team has gone about business, they will find it hard to criticize it for much longer.
Never complacent, never losing pride in the shirt, always engaged in the pursuit of victory. Celtic have done what every successful team, business or individual needs to do. Through thick and thin, they have remained disciplined, driven, committed and optimistic. If these standards remain intact and Celtic go on to win 10 successive league titles, it can only be described as the immaculate decade!
