We don’t need no stinkin’ courtesies

Scottish football has afforded defending champions the courtesy of a home game on the first day of the season to allow the league championship flag to be unfurled at the start of the new campaign for as many decades as I remember.

As this has, in effect, become a courtesy to give Celtic a home start to the campaign in as many years as my sons can remember, we’ll be at Tynecastle on the opening day of the season. Flag Day will have to wait.

That said, I like the idea of taking on Hearts away, then our nearest challengers, Aberdeen, at home. Come through this successfully and we will be in excellent shape for the campaign.

The Aberdeen game comes immediately after the final round of European qualifiers, so we have an opportunity to finish August in a real high – if we get the preparatory work done early enough.

Bring it on.  We don’t need no stinkin’ courtesies.