BITTER SWEET
Celtic wait to be crowned but McGregor rues loss of fanfare
CALLUM McGreGor insists Celtic have been robbed of the chance to celebrate nine-in-a-row with a podium party.
The Parkhead side are set to be ratified as Scottish champions, with Hearts relegated, after an SPFL board meeting on Monday.
A consultation between league chief executive Neil Doncaster and the 12 Premiership clubs ended last night in an agreement to conclude the 2019-20 season after 30 games.
A league source claimed the discussions were positive and helped to clear the air on a number of contentious matters.
Barring a legal curveball from rangers, Hearts, Partick Thistle or others over the weekend, the decision will now
be rubber-stamped early next week. While the SPFL’s actions remain a source of bitter anger to clubs negatively affected by a premature conclusion to the season, Parkhead midfielder McGregor claims the inability to finish the campaign also came as a disappointment to a Celtic team on course for a quadruple Treble.
With Neil Lennon’s side leading the league by 13 points with eight games to play, McGregor said: ‘Regardless of whether we win it on the pitch, or the circumstances dictate that we don’t get to finish it but we still get crowned, I think either way we would be worthy champions. We’ve been absolutely outstanding. ‘The boys were desperate to actually go and finish the season on a real high the way we were playing — but that’s been taken away.
‘But to go and get nine titles in a row, it will only be the second time in the club’s history, so that tells you how big an achievement it is in itself and it’s something I know the boys would be extremely proud of.’ The Belgian league concluded their season yesterday, naming Club Brugge as champions. Scotland has come to the same conclusion after UEFA allowed member nations to cut campaigns short on economic grounds if games could not be completed in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Insisting the inability to actually lift the league trophy this season will only spur Celtic on in the quest for ten-in-a-row, McGregor told Sky Sports: ‘The last game would have been on Sunday. You go through the middle part of the season and think you’re nearly there, and think: “This is the business end of the season” where you should be lifting trophies and getting the rewards for your hard work. ‘That’s taken away and you don’t really get those special moments. You think: “It will be another year before that could potentially happen again”. ‘That might be the hardest bit for us lads, to get our heads around it.
‘Yeah, we’ve had a great season. Hopefully it finishes well but it could potentially be another year before you are standing on a podium and celebrating success. I think that will also fuel you but it’s difficult to get your head around sometimes.’
Shooting down talk of a tainted title or an asterisk against the club’s achievement, captain Scott Brown insists Celtic would have won the league by a greater margin had the season reached its natural conclusion. Brown told BT Sport: ‘Obviously we want to play the games. But it’s a different situation for us. ‘We were in a strong position — and we know we were going to go on. We were going to go 13, 16, 19 points clear because we’re a top-quality team.’ Asked if he would have accepted the season being cut short if the tables were reversed with Rangers, Brown added: ‘They (Rangers) had a different hand. They came back top of the league, they had their opportunity to push on — and they didn’t continue the run.
‘So, from my point of view, if I was in their situation, yes, I would accept it. ‘Especially when the season was already won at the end of December.
‘Obviously we would have loved to have finished the season, been crowned champions and got the trophy in front of our own fans at Celtic Park. ‘But it’s a difficult situation for everyone.’
Asked what he would say to anyone who called it a tainted title, Brown responded: ‘I would tell them to come around and see my trophy.’