Hoops history calling
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is on the brink of becoming a History Bhoy at Ibrox this afternoon.
The Northern Irishman can go one better than Jock Stein and Martin O’Neill with a fourth successive win at the home of their rivals.
Legendary gaffer Stein led the Hoops to three victories in a month in season 1971/72 while O’Neill managed the feat between April 2003 and March 2004.
Kenny Dalglish netted in three games on the bounce against Willie Waddell ’s team as Celts kicked off a memorable hat-trick in the early Seventies.
Stein was the architect of wins in two League Cup ties and a league game in Govan while Celtic Park was under reconstruction.
His side triumphed 2- 0 in the first cup tie thanks to goals from Dalglish and Jimmy Johnstone. They returned a fortnight later and were 3- 0 victors with Dalglish, Bobby Lennox and Tommy Callaghan on target.
Two weeks later in the league Celtic were 3- 2 winners with Dalgl ish, Johnstone and Lou Macari the goalscorers.
Three decades on, O’Neill kicked off his Ibrox surge when goals from Alan Thompson and John Hartson gave his team a 2-1 win over Rangers.
Hartson then crashed home the only goal on their next visit before Henrik Larsson and Thompson were on target in a 2-1 derby success.
Rodgers got his run underway on Hogmanay 2016 when Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair netted in a 2-1 triumph.
The champions then pulverised Pedro Caixinha’s side 5-1 with efforts from Sinclair, Leigh Griff iths, Callum McGregor, Dedryck Boyata and Mikael Lustig.
Goals from Tom Rogic and Griffiths made it three out of three in a 2- 0 victory last September and Rodgers can now make it four in a row.