Celtic signed off their Scottish Premiership campaign with a 3-2 victory over St Mirren at Celtic Park on Saturday.
The visitors took the lead twice in a topsy-turvy first half but Matt O’Riley and Kyogo Furuhashi managed to find equalisers before the interval.
It was exhibition stuff for much of the second half but Luis Palma managed to find a winner late on, delighting supporters and kickstarting a day of celebration.
After the match, there was the usual quality pageantry. Interviews with players and the manager took place over the PA system, then there was the magical trophy lift – which was brought out by Santa Claus of all people!
This was a hard-fought title win. The squad and staff had to come through pressure to deliver. As a result, it’s an extra sweet moment for all of them. Sky Sports captured the big moment, posting it online – it’s embedded below.
Joe Hart addresses Celtic Park crowd for the final time
It was an extra-special day for Joe Hart. He played the final league game of his career in goal. Celtic supporters commemorated that moment with a superb tifo display and ovation when he was substituted off towards the end of the game.
After the match, he was handed a microphone and made it clear to the 60,000-strong support that he’s adored playing for this club.
He said: “Guys, I’ve never felt professionally that special before in my entire life. Myself, my family – from the bottom of my heart I absolutely adore every single one of you and everyone associated with this football club. It’s such a special place. I was asked yesterday, ‘How do you explain this to people?’ I don’t want to explain this to anyone. This isn’t a club that needs explaining, it’s a club that speaks for itself. You guys are absolutely phenomenal – it’s part of you. You’ve made me feel so special and humbled. Thank you so much for having me.”
It’s one of the best times in history to be a Celtic supporter. Celebrating never gets old despite the club dominating the rest of the Scottish competition almost every year for over a decade.
Everyone at the club – and supporters – will drink in these moments and have a jubilant Saturday afternoon and night.
Then, there’s the small matter of seeing off Rangers in next week’s Scottish Cup Final. More fantastic scenes could be just around the corner.