Moving abroad is certainly no easy task, particularly when a pandemic strikes and there’s little to no chance of returning home for an extended period of time. The whole world has been stuck at home and subjected to English football so seeing the Hoops play again in their new Adidas kit was certainly a welcome relief.

I moved to Abu Dhabi in late October 2019 and managed to watch most of our games online but it never quite felt the same so I realised I needed a far more consistent solution. Other than these unreliable online streams or belated YouTube highlights in Korean, I concluded that the only reliable way to watch any of the games both pre-season and domestically would be through CelticTV, a platform I had both never used nor knew anyone who had.

Naturally, there was and still is the option of The Dubai Hoops Celtic Supporters Club, which is a fan base here in the UAE that I can’t speak highly enough of and one which you should certainly pay a visit to if you ever come to Dubai. They have the upstairs bar booked out in McGettigan’s and the experience certainly makes you feel at home as if you’re in one of the many bars in the Gallowgate before, during and after a game.

The safest option, in terms of the current global situation, would certainly be to subscribe to CelticTV and have access to all the games and exclusive content available. Within minutes of subscription I had access to the match with Lyon in full HD definition and without any buffering or out of sync audio. Fantastic purchase, I couldn’t have been happier, though the results and individual performances could have been better. Waiting anxiously for four months to see Celtic play then seeing Moussa Dembele score a goal against Celtic was hardly the way I’d hoped things would go…

CelticTV offers two packages, a monthly or a yearly plan and within each package you have the further option of an upgrade to HD quality resulting in 4 options. The standard yearly plan costs £149.99 while the upgrade to HD totals £189.99 so the extra £40 is certainly worth the money as the crisper the screen the better. I enjoyed the commentary on the game by Gerry McCulloch which was very professional and highlights from previous games are also available to be watched at your leisure too.

My experience thus far with CelticTV has certainly been worthwhile and I would certainly recommend it to fellow expats and fans around the world who are unable to find a bar or a supporters club. I look forward to the new season ahead and the pundits that CelticTV have employed to run the show for 10-in-Row!

There are many things that have to be left behind when emigrating, some through choice and others through necessity. One of the most upsetting was definitely being away from the football ie Celtic, especially those amazing European nights. At least with CelticTV, although the gap still remains huge, it does go a long way to making you feel at home, back at Paradise.

And another casualty of the pandemic is the winter break in the Scottish Premiership meaning that the Hoops will have to miss out on their usual January visit to Dubai, where they are always warmly welcomed by the Dubai Hoops Celtic Supporters Club.