I was a West Ham player in 1999.

But even what happened in Glasgow in May that year, way before I would begin my long association with Celtic, did not pass me by down in London.

I still remember staring at the TV and wondering what the hell was going on up there. The unsavoury pictures of the referee with blood pouring down his head were beamed throughout the country – and further afield – and I don’t think there was anyone in football who didn’t see the carnage of that night.

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When I came up a few years later to join Celtic it was a game that was still talked about. I was filled in with every nook and cranny of that afternoon and what had happened as Rangers celebrated with a huddle at full-time and so on.

And so here we come again with the tables turned and Celtic in the position to go and win the title and rub the noses of their great rivals in it. In some ways it is great for Scottish football – it is getting a billing it deserves with monumental interest in the game.

I do hope, though, that it makes headlines for all the right reasons.

I have been a Celtic player walking out onto a bus outside of Ibrox after a game against Rangers and have boarded with an angry crowd chanting and shouting obscenities that I would not possible repeat here.

We can all appreciate that there is pride and passion on both sides but for me I just hope that there is a line that is not crossed. It is a game of football, after all. It is a massive fixture, it means so much to both sets of fans but ultimately it is there for entertainment.

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I believe now that there are times when the police go into both training grounds in the build-up to the game but I have to say I don’t ever recall speaking to cops before it. I do remember the referee coming in before kick-off to our dressing room and warning us not to goad opposition fans if we scored.

But if I was a Celtic player in that dressing room I’d be going all out to rub Rangers’ noses in it. It is professional football, winning is what it is all about. This is the chance for Celtic to go out and enjoy their coronation and why not? They’ve earned it.

Equally, though, if I was in that Rangers dressing room I would be absolutely determined that they weren’t winning it on my watch. It is your own personal pride. You are a professional football player and none of us cope well with losing. No-one likes to watch off a pitch having been humiliated, especially by your biggest rivals.

We have all seen what happened with Rangers in the aftermath of the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat. But that result on Sunday will give them a little bit of encouragement and might just steady them for now.

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Regardless of what might be going on just now in their dressing room and whatever politics are still at play, they will not want to hand it over without a fight. I know I wouldn’t.

My money will be on Celtic, of course it will. They have so much more in every area of the pitch than Rangers but at the same time I just wouldn’t be expecting to turn up and have it handed to me on a plate.

The whole thing about Championships and titles is that you have to earn it. You need to go out there and show why you are the best team in the country and it is up to Celtic to do that on Sunday.

They didn’t at the weekend against Hibs. I thought Neil Lennon put together the tigerish kind of display that is his hallmark and they are well up for this fight for second spot which would be a marvellous achievement.

But Celtic were very passive against Hibs. It was as if they just expected to walk out and be handed the three points. You have to be ready to roll your sleeves up and get to work and it will be exactly the same this weekend against Rangers.

I do think with the majority of the crowd behind them and on their own turf it is a chance for a special day and they have every right to enjoy it.

It is the game that the authorities tried very hard to avoid but it is there now and in some ways it is fitting. It was wrong for them to assume that Celtic would walk over Hibs on their way to the title as Lenny has shown.

There is every chance it will be a day of celebration for Celtic but you just hope that it all passes off largely without any of the nasty stuff.