Celtic Champions Champagne’s on ice, where and when we’ll celebrate

The Celtic Star

·14 April 2025

Celtic Champions Champagne’s on ice, where and when we’ll celebrate

That was a strange one yesterday, watching Aberdeen take on theRangers at Pittodrie, knowing that a home win would guarantee Celtic the title…

An Athletic Club Bilbao supporter outside Celtic Park ahead of the Celtic v Kilmarnock match,. Photo Celtic Curio

Yes, we all wanted theRangers to lose, as is always the case but this time there was also a nagging wee feeling that Celtic winning the league while we were all sitting on our sofas was hardly the circumstances any Celtic supporter would prefer.

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Reo Hatate of Celtic scores to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 12 April 2025. IMAGO Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

When Barry Ferguson’s team-list came up, with nine changes from the side that drew at Ibrox last Thursday night against Athletic Club, Bilbao then the odds seemed to increase that Celtic would win the league early but we’d not get the chance to win it ourselves with at least some of our supporters there to celebrate the title triumph, a 13th in 14 seasons.

Aberdeen led 2-0 at half-time

Aberdeen scored twice in the first half in a game that they dominated and the champagne that’s usually in fridges in Celtic households this time of year was in danger of being popped, especially as theRangers were down to ten men.

Daizen Maeda of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 2-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 12 April 2025. IMAGO Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

The Alan Muir lesson for VAR

The disallowed goal for theRangers in the first half was delicious as it mirrored what happened at Easter Road when a Daizen Maeda goal was ruled out by Alan Muir on VAR after he’d guessed that the cross from the touchline by Alistair Johnston was out of play. The linesman though this time flagged so VAR had no alternative but to go with the on-field decision as there could be no conclusive evidence one way or the other because we’ve operating with VAR technology that the SFA bought from the middle aisle at Lidl.

Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic celebrates with team mates after scoring to give Celtic a 3-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 12 April 2025. IMAGO Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

An equaliser with the last kick-off the ball

Igamane for theRangers scored early in the second half but Aberdeen pressure seemed to pay off when Kevin Nisbet added a third but this time VAR was able to intervene, so it stayed 2-1 until the 5th minute of stoppage time was up when Dessers rattled the Aberdeen post – and we thought that was that – but Hagi found the far corner from the rebound to level the score.

That Aberdeen team, or Hearts who failed to make the top six on Saturday, will play in the Scottish Cup final next month against either St Johnstone or Celtic and from our point of view there should be nothing to fear at Hampden. The semi-finals are this weekend with us playing second so we’ll know what will be in the final ahead of our own match.

Reo Hatate of Celtic scores to give Celtic a 4-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 12 April 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

For theRangers it’s off to the beautiful Basque city of Bilbao to try to keep their season going before having a weekend off. Stranger things happen in football but with the final taking place in Bilbao this year it’s hard to see theRangers winning this one.

We’ll gladly wait for a taste of that champagne

We’ll now gladly wait for a taste of that champagne and today or tomorrow we’ll hear from the SPFL about the post-split fixtures. As always happened both Police Scotland and Sky Sports will be having their say.

Celtic will have TWO home matches and THREE away this year and we will almost certainly have St Mirren and Hibs coming to Paradise while we will play away games at Ibrox, Pittodrie and Tannadice.

Anthony Ralston of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 5-1 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 12 April 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Trophy Day, Glasgow Derby and where we’ll win the league

The top six fixtures will conclude on Saturday, 17 May, kick-off 12.30pm and Celtic will almost certainly be at home for Trophy Day, so ahead of that there will be three away games and just one home match.

Our first post-split fixture won’t be at Ibrox – the Police won’t stand for that and they also won’t allow the midweek fixture on 13/14 May to be a Glasgow Derby. So it will be the second or third post split fixture where we’ll be at Ibrox with our one remaining home fixture being played on the first of more likely the second game.

Reo Hatate of Celtic celebrates with team mates after scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 12 April 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

So it will be Pittodrie or Tannadice or a game at Celtic Park against Hibs or St Mirren where the league is likely to be won, then probably a trip to Ibrox.

Celtic are 15 points clear and 42 goals better off so it’s all done and dusted bar the title winning party. But Brendan Rodgers will want to win all of these games and if we played like we did at the weekend then there’s no reason why that can’t happen.

Champions again.

🗣️ "Celebrating tells you where Rangers are at, it's just pathetic!" 🥳 "You're just raging because you can't get down for a party!" Chris Sutton does not think the equaliser was that important... 👀
– Sunday, 13 April 2025

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