Saturday 9 May 2020 15:26, UK
At a time when football grounds have closed their doors, we have asked Martin Tyler to share some of his favourite facts and memories of the homes of clubs around the world.
This week, Sky Sports' Voice of Football is looking at some grounds in Scotland, Wales and Spain. Today, he takes us on a trip to the home of Celtic.
Keep an eye on The Football Show on Sky Sports News and @SkySportsPL for some special Tyler's Teasers from Martin.
The flights from Heathrow to Glasgow are regular. Way back I did enjoy catching the sleeper train back to London. The timings made it possible after a midweek game, but I am not sure if that is now the case.
The main position is high, but very good. The noise levels of the crowd can be a problem during the game. Commentators wear headphones not only to hear the match director, the producer and the co-commentator but also to hear their own voices. That is vital. Just try putting your fingers in your ears and talk and you will see how difficult that is. So at Celtic, and Rangers too, with such passionate support you have to turn up those levels very high.
On Christmas Day 1893, Celtic Park was the venue for a very early experiment with floodlights. The lamps were erected on poles round the outside of the pitch with another set strung across the middle! The fact that it was not attempted again suggests that the game would have been affected by the ball hitting those extra lights during the match.
Matchday 5 of Group F of the Champions League in 2006 saw Celtic entertain Manchester United and it turned out to be a famous evening for the Glasgow club.
United had beaten their Scottish rivals 3-2 at Old Trafford at the start of the competition, a match which provided two major portents for this return fixture with qualification for the knock out stages on the line for both teams.
In Manchester, Louis Saha had scored a penalty for United to goalkeeper Artur Boruc's right-hand side and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar had been left helpless by a goalscoring free-kick to his left over the defensive wall from Japan international Shunsuke Nakamura.
Fast forward now from September to November and to the last 10 minutes at Celtic Park with the game still at 0-0. There was another Nakamura free-kick in a similar position but slightly further out and again executed to perfection. This time Van der Sar was wiser and got nearer to the ball but nowhere near enough. Celtic had played a containing game under Gordon Strachan, waiting for a moment like that.
The second déjà vu came just after Saha had burst clear with a great chance to equalise but stumbled at the vital moment looking as though he expected to be flagged offside. Shaun Maloney was adjudged to have blocked a Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick with a raised arm and United, as at Old Trafford, were awarded a penalty. Saha chose the same side but the shot was higher this time, a better height for Boruc to reach which he did with great agility to parry Celtic to safety.
The final whistle signalled not only a famous win for Celtic but the reaching of the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time. United still needed a point but got three in their final game at home to Benfica, 3-1 with Saha on the scoresheet.
It was an amazing night, a tale of two left-footers, one from Japan and one from France, which gave Scotland the bragging rights in this Battle of Britain.
It is an enticing mix of size and intimacy. Green is not a dominant football colour, certainly among clubs. That makes the backdrop to matches at Celtic very distinctive.
There used to be one fear when arriving to cover Celtic games. The players' kit for years was numbered only on their shorts and therefore the numbers not so visible. Nothing on the back of the shirts. Happily that changed in 1994 to the considerable relief of the commentary fraternity.
On Tuesday: Martin brings us his guide to Rangers' Ibrox
