At one point, during the unrelenting bedlam of derby day at Ibrox on Sunday, Sky’s cameras honed in on a familiar face in the Rangers directors’ box.
Having slipped in behind enemy lines, Davie Hay watched on from the posh seats as Brendan Rodgers attempted to become only the third Celtic manager in 40 years to rattle off three wins from the first three Old Firm games of the season. Hay managed it first in 1984. Twenty years later in 2004, Martin O’Neill passed that same landmark on his way to a league and Scottish Cup double.
But just when Rodgers seemed on the brink of doing it too another two decades on, Rabbi Matondo burst Celtic’s cyclical bubble with a stunning strike in injury time to cap one of the most dramatic, high scoring draws in this fixture’s long history. At that moment, Hay’s mind drifted back to another barnstorming Ibrox encounter in 1986, when Celtic escaped across the city with a 4-4 draw before going on to secure the title on the last day of the season with a famous five goal turkey shoot at St Mirren.
Or Albert Kidd day, as it’s been known ever since. And it’s that historic campaign which Hay believes might actually be being repeated and played out before our very eyes this time around.
“I wasn’t even aware of the statistics about winning the first three Old Firm games of the season,” Hay blushed modestly, speaking exclusively to Record Sport . “To be honest, I had no idea Brendan could have become just the third Celtic manager to do it.
“But what I do know is that Sunday’s draw reminded me very much of what happened back in 86 when we went to Ibrox for that 4-4 draw. It feels like this run-in could be something similar.”
Hay certainly hopes so. It was Celtic who grabbed the late equaliser that day when Murdo MacLeod smashed home the eighth goal of the day.
Hearts had been leading from the front for months and stayed in pole position right up until the final seconds of the final weekend of the season, when Kidd climbed off Dundee’s bench to make history’s helicopter to change direction. But, from the moment MacLeod spared Celtic from defeat at Ibrox, Hay could feel the momentum beginning to shift.
He recalled: “That draw was actually part of a run of 16 games undefeated until the end of the season. After that Rangers game we won eight on the bounce. And I felt, as that run went on, that maybe we could win this on the basis that the pressure was getting to Hearts.
“The week before the final day fixtures they only beat Clydebank 1-0 at home and although they still had a big goal difference advantage I just felt it was all starting to get to them while we were playing well and on a run. It could be something similar this season because Celtic know, if they win all of their games, the title will be theirs.”
Which is why Hay left Ibrox on Sunday afternoon believing his old club to be the big winners despite the celebrations which followed Matondo’s late stunner. He said: “A draw was the right result. Celtic were totally dominant in the first half and they could have scored more than just two goals. If they had done that then the game was gone.
“At half time you’re saying, ‘There’s almost no way back here for Rangers’. But I’ve learned over the years you should never say that in a game like that. Before the game I felt if either team had won it, then the league title was probably heading to that club. The draw means it’s still possible for them both to win it.
“While Sunday’s game could have been defining – the one at Celtic Park will be. Although Celtic might feel they were 2-0 up and should have gone on to win it and Rangers maybe feel they fought back to get a merited draw – I do think it’s actually swung in Celtic’s favour.
“Had they lost at the weekend they could have been left five points behind going into the post split fixtures. But that’s not the case. It’s now a matter of winning six games to win the league.
“Yes, Rangers will think a draw at Celtic Park might be enough. But, given the recent history of these games I think it’s slightly in Celtic’s favour going into the final stretch. Then again, who knows? There could still be a slip up to come elsewhere that none of us see coming!
“That’s the beauty of having a real title challenge because there’s not been one in a while and both teams will feel they can do it. But the first half at Ibrox was as well as Celtic have played all season and, with guys like Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor getting back up to match fitness, that also augurs well for what is still to come.
“You just have to make sure your energy levels are at their utmost and don’t give a second thought to what has gone on up until this point. That’s the way we looked at it in the 86 season as we built momentum towards the finishing line. By the time we went into that last game at St Mirren it was just a constant bombardment.
“You just have to say to yourself, ‘We can’t afford any more drop offs – we have to maintain our energy levels in every single game until the end,’.”
Hay is full of praise for the mid-season recovery job Rangers have carried out since Philippe Clement’s arrival. And he insists that turn-around has been good for the health of the Scottish game – even if it might have been detrimental to Celtic’s blood pressure.
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