Perhaps one of the most memorable yet hilarious moments at Celtic Park on Saturday was when Santa presented the champions with the league title.
St. Nich was booed at Parkhead earlier in the season during a 2-0 defeat to Hearts. The home support wasn’t full of the Christmas spirit on that day but at the weekend, their festive cheer was coherent as the man in red received a raucous applause.
Andy Williams’ ‘It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ rang around the ground as Santa emerged from the tunnel in possession of the league title but in 23-degree heat, he was likely roasted alive.
That didn’t stop him from having a joke, though, as he made the sign of the cross with the silverware before handing it over to be presented.
He then went back into the dressing room after orchestrating a fair few cheers from the home supporters and now, the man behind the suit and white wig, Andrew from Ayr, has lifted the lid on how he was asked to return to Celtic Park.
The actor who has appeared in both Still Game and Taggart admitted that it was pleasing to leave his affair with the champions on a positive note.
He said: [Daily Record] “When I got the call asking me to present the trophy, I was stunned but knew it would be a special moment.
“It was a very closely guarded secret and I arrived during the game to get changed in the manager’s office. The look on his (Brendan Rodgers’) face and that of the captain (Callum McGregor) when I walked out was incredible.
“I couldn’t hold back the emotion when the fans reacted as they did – you could see it in my face. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Celtic are a hugely charitable club and I can’t thank them enough for that gesture on Saturday, it was the perfect ending to the story.”
