Celtic champions again to leave Rangers uneasy as Rugby Park proves a fitting venue amid poignant scenes

The Celtic squad celebrate in front of the visiting fans after clinching the title at Rugby Park. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Brendan Rodgers’ side clinch the title with 5-0 demolition of Kilmarnock

The fun continues for Celtic fans. Bye, bye Rangers. Brendan Rodgers' side put to bed the Ibrox club's challenge as they secured a third successive title at an appropriate ground and on a significant date.

If not Celtic Park then where better than another place where one of their most loved figures was revered? Poignancy was injected into the party atmosphere before kick-off as both sets of fans stood and applauded the memory of Tommy Burns, hero at both Celtic and Kilmarnock but beloved of fans of all colours and stripes.

"You're playing for a people and a cause," read a banner beneath a large picture of Burns, who died 16 years ago to the day aged just 51. He would have enjoyed this and not only because Celtic reinstated their status as top dogs in Scotland with a stylish performance.

Celtic fans hold up a tifo of Tommy Burns with a banner which reads 'You're playing for a people and a cause'. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Kilmarnock are relishing the thought of Europa League second qualifying round action later this summer. It’s a long way from when Burns led them out of the Scottish third tier, Scotland’s basement at the time.

Kilmarnock might have been swept aside here, which is untypical of them these days, but spirits remained high. The home players made sure they enjoyed – eventually – the lap of honour the achievement of finishing fourth deserves. This is their house after all, even if it didn’t always feel like it.

Those Celtic fans with a precious ticket for the away stand did what they could to impose themselves. What a racket. What unbridled support. What a ….change of tune. Even Rodgers was hailed by fans, which must have felt like music to his ears. It seems like only yesterday when “Sack the Board” chants filled the air at Celtic Park and even Santa Claus was booed as he sought to dispense some Christmas cheer.

It seems like only yesterday because it was relatively recently, certainly in terms of the lifetime of this storied club. Rodgers managed to steady the ship. The so-called novice knew what to do. Funny that.

Celtic's James Forrest celebrates as he scores to make it 3-0 over Kilmarnock. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

It’s almost as if Rodgers has been here before. Celtic certainly have. This is the fifth time they have secured the Scottish title at this ground although this is the first time since Kilmarnock installed a synthetic pitch ten years ago. It hasn’t always been kind to Celtic but they quickly exorcised the memory of two defeats here already this season to signal a near-90 minute party.

On-loan Norwich City striker Adam Idah got the celebrations underway inside three minutes and then Daizen Maeda struck the goal that all but confirmed Celtic were champions. The born-again James Forrest added a third before half-time. Matt O’Riley scored the pick of the goals after 51 minutes when he made the net bulge from the edge of the box.

It would not have been the best of the bunch had Danny Armstrong's curler for the home side been allowed to stand after 53 minutes. A VAR check showed that Marley Watkins was offside earlier in the move, when he sprinted through on goal and forced a block from Joe Hart. Killie defender Robbie Deas also hit the bar with a header soon afterwards.

So it was not completely straightforward. And neither was the evening devoid of controversy. There was uproar in the home ranks following Celtic's opening goal.

What might Burns have said about playing on while an opponent lay stricken on the floor with an apparent head knock? He may well have preferred the ball being kicked out of play. However, the onus is on the referee to stop the game and Don Robertson didn’t. Idah, whose flailing arm had felled Deas, charged on and the ball reached O’Riley on the right. Everyone in the stadium knew what was coming. O’Riley curled an exquisite cross into the danger area and Idah – of course it was Idah – bundled in.

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes was incandescent. So, too, were his players. But the goal stood and Celtic did not look back, which is what Kilmarnock accused of them at doing at the opener.

Celtic were two up inside 20 minutes on the way to a 6-0 win the last time they won the league here, in 2012. The start was even quicker here. Alistair Johnston crossed for Maeda to tap in number two after 12 minutes and Maeda provided the assist for Forrest to side-foot home Celtic’s third 11 minutes before half-time.

O’Riley’s outstanding season continues to get better. He scored his 17th and 18th goals of a memorable campaign, thrashing in from distance after 51 minutes and then nonchalantly tapping in after being teed up by substitute Nicolas Kuhn with 20 minutes left. It was all over bar the shouting – and singing, not all of it particularly savoury, from the away end.

Both managers elected to make ceremonial substitutions, including Callum McGregor making way for Tomoki Iwata. The Celtic skipper threw his armband into the away supporters, which drew great acclaim, before heading off. All that was left was for the final whistle, which saw Rodgers turn and hug each member of his backroom staff. The serial winner has done it again. Out came the obligatory tee shirts, with a “champions again” message.

Celtic were, of course, helped by a dramatic Rangers stumble in the Highlands and then on Tayside a few days later. Celtic were not in the mood for blinking in any case. This was a seventh win in eight league outings, with the other game producing a point at Ibrox. A very good point it turned out.

What was it Bill Struth said about welcoming the chase? Rangers will now be sitting a little uneasily as Celtic set their sights on title number 55, the number Rangers claimed under Steven Gerrard in 2021 by a distance of 25 points. Their failure to build on that success is being ruthlessly exploited by Celtic.