Thread by @BroganRoganTrev

THE GHOSTS

A few years ago, I read an article about Celtic Park being the greatest traceable home advantage in sport. The piece cited Celtic's European Record of the time and spoke to player after player from visiting teams who all said that there was that "something" present

in the stadium. Celtic players were also quoted with Henrik Larsson in particular saying that the same something made you run faster and longer, made you try harder, jump higher and think quicker.
Many football stadia have great atmospheres, but this article suggested more than

just atmosphere. It hinted at something else.
I have said for years that there are certain nights when you can feel what the article was on about it. It is a strange sensation. It is neither blind optimism or wishful thinking before a match, and it is not present at every match.

You can tell when it isn't there - but by God you certainly know when it is there. Before last night's game it was very clearly present. For me, I describe the feeling as "The Ghosts" of Celtic Park being present. Maybe spirit is a better word but I prefer the idea of ghosts.

The ghosts are those countless thousands who have moved on but left some of their spirit and will within the stadium. On certain nights, you can feel them all there - and they are your ghosts - Yer da, yer ma, grandad, great grandad, brother, sister or whoever. They are all there

in the stadium along with wee Jimmy, Jimmy McGrory, Big Billy, Cheeky Charlie, Patsy Gallagher, Stevie Chalmers, Walfrid, Glass & countless others. Long before kick off last night I tweeted that "The Ghosts were out" as you could feel it in the air all around you. Their presence

doesn't automatically signify a win but it does mean that you are about to witness something special. At times last night I felt the game seemed half asleep, trance like, but then the ghosts woke up and their spirit took to the field and the rest is history. And here is a funny

thing. I never once felt the presence of the ghosts during the Brendan Rogers era. For all his success, which was absolutely fantastic and should be recognised and lauded, for whatever reason Brendan couldn't summon or just didn't attract the Celtic Park ghosts. For some, their

footballing destiny, their moment in history, is to be found at Celtic Park, for others it is not so. As I have been telling people for years "strange things happen at Celtic Park" and last night was one of them. To all Celtic fans this morning I say here is to your ghosts. You

alone know who they are and can feel their spirit ..... but they were there, trust me, just as sure as you or I. But sure, many of you know that already. HH