It was announced today that Scottish football will restart in August with the new season commencing without fans in stadiums. Instead, the matches will be broadcast on TV and Celtic are set to release details about virtual season tickets in due course.

For many this is exciting news and an uplifiting opportunity to escape from the restrictions of the lockdown. The lack of football and specifically Celtic matches, has left a real void in many people’s lives. However, I don’t share that optimism.

I wanted the season to be concluded behind closed doors, just so that Celtic could win nine in a row on the pitch. 30 games had been played and it wouldn’t have been many games to play out. That, I felt, was a worthwhile ‘evil’ with the season already underway.

When it comes to starting a new season, I’d rather hold off until fans can return to stadia. Having watched the Bundesliga being played behind doors, I realise how dreadful the experience can be. Even in a stadium without much atmosphere, the mere presence of sound beyond players calling for the ball, adds to the occasion and creates excitement. It’s bizzare. I was looking forward to some form of sporting action, but it really was a tough watch. On the flip side, I hope and wonder if watching Celtic will be different because of having a vested interest in the match and result, beyond a bet that was doomed to fail before kick off anyway!

Another apprehension I have is that if fans can return by Christmas, as some anticipate, then that would mean Celtic have to play crunch fixtures such as the Glasgow derby behind closed doors, whereas The Rangers would get the advantage of having a full house for the next Glasgow derby. Whether or not Celtic should win the league aside of this doesn’t matter, you want as fair a contest as possible.

In spite of the above points, part of me looks forward to seeing Celtic play. Weekends without my own football to enjoy, gatherings of friends to meet or pubs to visit, are currently filled by work or the impossible task of finding a quiet spot on Bournemouth beach to relax. It’s okay but it’s not exciting. A last minute winner by Scott Brown against Hamilton as we close in on the ten, gives me more joy than avoiding 10,000 sunbathers or climbing ladders for extra money.

My biggest worry is that next season is a monumental and potentially historic one for Celtic. Paradise should and would be rocking each week as we look to set history that would probably be second only to Lisbon in terms of the club’s achievements. To have several months of such a season robbed from us by being stuck watching games on TV just doesn’t bare thinking about. Worse still, some medical professionals have expressed doubt over crowds returning until 2022. Therefore, we could win ten in a row in front of an empty stadium. Nine in a row was historic and the celebrations were robbed from us. Missing the ten is unthinkable… but of course Celtic have to get the job done first.

When all is said and done, the football needs to return in Scotland in order for clubs to bring in revenue through the televised matches. There was little alternative and it is going to go ahead so all that can be done now, is to make the best of it. I just hope things go better than I anticipate.

Liam Kelly

Here We Go – Quadruple and Quintuple Trebles, 10IAR, Virtual Season Tickets for BCD football then fans back end of the year | The Celtic Star https://t.co/HbScf8YpOi

— The Celtic Star Editor – INVINCIBLE (@CelticStarMag) June 3, 2020