Aberdeen boss Brown pleased to get Parkhead trip out of way first

Aberdeen manager Craig Brown believes facing Clydesdale Bank Premier League champions Celtic at Parkhead is the ideal start to the season.

The home fans will be in celebratory mode when long-serving former Hoops defender and coach Sean Fallon unfurls the league flag ahead of the game in the week of his 90th birthday.

But Brown feels his team have little to lose at Celtic Park. “We go down to the game on Saturday with cautious optimism,” the former Scotland manager said.

“I am happy to start with Celtic away. When I was with Scotland and involved with the scheduling of the fixtures I used to always want to play one of the bigger nations away from home first. I felt if you go and you get something it is a good way to start the campaign and if you don’t get anything you still have to play them at home.

“If someone asked who I would want to play first I would probably have said Celtic away.”