Things are beginning to fall into place now; the pieces of the puzzle are forming a picture of success for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers.
Despite the blinding glare of flashlights, artistic headlines and deception from the mainstream media, we are focused. Celtic Football Club is gearing up for one of the most exciting and interesting seasons in years.
This is what we have been waiting for since the ‘wake’, which should have been a Treble Celebration at the start of June. Instead of a wake, we are now ‘awake’!
The shackles are off and so is Brendan together with his backroom team, one which deliciously snubbed the chance of EPL celebrity to stay and fight for the cause, and the supporters of this great club.
The core of the last two years’ success is intact with only the head of the team being transposed with a new and improved model of yesteryear.
This has given us cause for optimism and has put a new heart into the Faithful, a heart once badly broken, but now mended and ready to pump fresh blood into a new campaign.
This is SO Celtic; one minute on our knees, but whilst down there, praying for some sort of resurrection, hope and glory. They say God works in mysterious ways and true to form, our prayer was answered in the form of a man also on his knees, previously despised by some, grudgingly understood by those in the know.
Peter Lawwell, Brendan Rodgers and Michael Nicholson (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
I have been on my knees recently with all manner of sidewinders coming at me, as most of us have in some form or another in today’s climate. As my wife, Ursula, begun to watch a video of Denzel Washington speaking to college graduates, I peeked over her shoulder when I heard the words, “You will fall. However, when you do, fall forward, not backward!”
This sage advice is new meat for the students, but Celtic and our indomitable supporters have been eyeing this succulent lamb for years. Such is our lot in life, we have been on our knees many times, but have always risen to great heights above the noise.
We are on the verge of doing so again. Losing our manager at a time we should have been celebrating had brought us down, but, like the prize fighter, we refuse to stay down. We always have.
We have an exciting, visionary manager in place now and he will do what he does best, bring us Championships and Trophies.
And theRangers are investing, wisely or otherwise, and with a new set of charges incentivised by our record-breaking decade – and more – they will be fierce contestants this year. We will have to either keep our stars or, with our bountiful booty, replace them with better. Either way, we move forward. We will emerge as Champions once again.
Brendan will rise above the noise as his previous incumbent did and, hopefully, he’ll forge a straight path, not only domestically but in Europe, one which will be littered with rocks and pitfalls. We’ve been there before, but having donned our hiking boots and clamps we’ll be a lot stronger this time, and wiser?
The Celtic family are special in so many ways, not least in the way we boldly ‘Walk through a storm’, trading adversity for challenge. The spirit passed down to us by Brother Walfrid is omnipresent, and that spirit will take us into season 2023/24 with hope in our hearts, and with dreams and songs to sing. Rise up Bhoys and Ghirls – enjoy the challenge and enjoy the celebrations to come. HH.
Eddie Murray