The Celtic trophy day last month was a wonderful occasion. In fact, for some supporters, it was one of the best days in their personal history of following the club.
From start to finish it was a joy, on and off the pitch. The team got the performance right on the pitch and the club got the pomp and circumstance of it all perfect too.
One of the pleasing things to see from that week was the attention that Celtic and Ange Postecoglou got from Australian media. It was mainstream news back in Postecoglou’s homeland.
Michael Zappone is a broadcaster with Network 10 in Australia and made the trip to Scotland with a camera crew to cover the story, getting exclusive access to both Postecoglou and Tom Rogic at Lennoxtown.
They were also one of the broadcast media teams on the ground at Celtic Park when the Bhoys lifted the trophy.
Now back in Australia, we wanted to get his thoughts on the Celtic experience as an outsider, so sat down for a chat with him earlier this week, which you can see in full on our YouTube channel.
In short, he was taken aback by it all and the love that both Postecoglou and Rogic received from Celtic supporters.
He told us: “We really wanted to show everyone back home the impact Ange has had on Celtic and Scottish football. We were watching him from afar and reading all the articles, but the impact when we got there was much bigger than anyone could have imagined back home.
“The support that Celtic fans had for Ange, and for Rogic, we just couldn’t believe.
“It was more than what I expected. We got there on the day quite early and were interviewing supporters. Inside the stadium – I’ve been to a lot of games in all parts of the world, World Cups, and experienced some great atmospheres – but it’d be tough to top the atmosphere at Celtic Park.
“All the ingredients were there. It’d have to be in my top 3 moments of visiting a football stadium in my career. The way that the fans respected the occasion was something wonderful to experience.”
Zappone had lots more to say in our full interview, including the impact of Postecoglou on football in Australia in general, amidst a competitive sports market.
It’s a fun watch and gives you a sense of the waves being made in the Australian market by Celtic right now.
With the Bhoys set to visit Sydney in November, these links and this good feeling are only going to increase.
In other news, Cameron Carter-Vickers makes his intentions clear; Celtic look in pole position.
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