The Petrovs at Ibrox. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
OVERALL – 6.5/10 – And so it’s finally done. A stressful afternoon which dragged on so long that we ended up overlapping with the Marvel Spiderman Convention booked in for 4pm, and the celebrating pitch-side Bhoys had to put up being assailed with the vociferous complaints of a load of irate wee cosplaying web-heads. Then a fat redacted mess of a man tried to make a name for itself by attacking… An unknown member of the Celtic backroom staff. Which is pretty similar to Mark Chapman opting to gun down Pete Best’s milkman instead of John Lennon. Hopefully he’ll spend a few days getting passed round the jail like a used dirty mag.
Celtic team talk. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
So the Celtic reserves refused to do the honourable thing and lie down to wee furious Danny’s meisters elect. Instead we decided to continue last week’s rope-a-dope but take it to outrageous extremes: today it was the equivalent of a prizefighter sucker-punching his opponent as they stand beside the ref awaiting the points announcement.
Kieran Tierney and Callum McGregor at Ibrox. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
Four games in ten days, all away, and the Bhoys legs were showing it. But… Bologna, Stuttgart – precious learning experiences that made this afternoon’s defiance a muscle-memory second-nature exercise in stoicism as we matched the intensity of their pressure with clinical focus at the big defensive moments. Of which there were plenty. A marvellous result. A gleeful sunny March Sunday. A performance to be filed under ‘character’ and ‘baws’. But the best takeaway from the entire chaotic experience is again the belief rippling through the squad that they can get the job done in any adverse conditions.
Celtic celebrations after Tomas Cvancara scores the penalty that takes Celtic into the semi-finals. Scottish Cup quarter final on Sunday 8 March 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
And on Saturday coming, THAT will be the only factor which matters.
Go Away Now
Sandman
Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order
