And they thought Seville was green and white heartbreak. Now Kilmarnock can be added to Inverness and Hampden Park when it comes to explaining just how Celtic could experience such drama in 2002-03 and emerge with nothing more than credit.
No silverware. All Celtic have are memories. For some that will not be enough, although the gusto with which We Are Celtic Supporters was sung long after the final whistle said that for the vast majority this will be a season every bit as unforgettable as Martin O'Neill's first in the east end of Glasgow.
It ended two Mays ago with Celtic clinching a treble at Hampden by beating Hibernian and O'Neill being serenaded by hordes already devoted to the man and the manager. In headline terms O'Neill's Celtic have been on the downslope since. Last season they won only the league again, and this season they finish potless. Yet clearly such an analysis is ridiculous.
Even yesterday, on an afternoon of head-swivelling drama, Celtic won again, though they lost their title. For 10 frayed minutes in the second half there was even the odd chant of "champions". At 4.22 p.m. Chris Sutton wheeled his way into the Kilmarnock penalty area and was wrestled to the turf by Shaun Dillon.
The referee, Kenny Clarke, had no hesitation about pointing to the spot, a big call considering the implications, and Alan Thompson crunched the ball past Gordon Marshall.
The Celtic fans crammed behind each goal were delirious. Then 10 minutes later Sutton broke away down the Kilmarnock right and crossed for Henrik Larsson sprinting in. The Swede got a toe in ahead of his defender but the ball trundled past Marshall, only to come back off the far post. It was a head-in-hands moment and its significance doubled, trebled and then multiplied again as news came through that Rangers had scored a fourth at Ibrox.
Their task was to match whatever Rangers were doing, then better it. It was a task that screamed Larsson, yet a man with 44 goals in 50 appearances before yesterday had only two chances. With one he struck a post, the other the goalkeeper's midriff.
Fortunately, Thompson - "monumental these past four months," said O'Neill - and Sutton were in determined mood. From Thompson's inswinging corner Sutton made it 1-0 in the 16th minute when the fresh drama of the day created a hysterical atmosphere. Every tackle was an assault if you listened to the rival fans.
It relented by the 43rd minute, when Thompson and Sutton combined once more, Sutton bundling the ball over the line while on the floor. The goal gave Celtic renewed belief for the second half and Thompson's penalty sent it soaring.
But then Larsson hit that post and 11 minutes from time Thompson missed a penalty. He swept the ball high over the crossbar. Stilian Petrov did get a fourth in the 83rd minute but by then Rangers had moved clear.
On the final whistle Sutton continued his 90-minute argument with the referee and was shown a red card in the tunnel, Neil Lennon fell to the turf and others applauded their fans, heads bowed. But those heads should be held high today.
"We got beaten on goal difference," said O'Neill. "Well played Rangers."
Guardian Service
KILMARNOCK: Marshall, Fowler, Dindeleux, McLaughlin, Dillon, Locke (McDonald 45), Mahood, Fulton (Hay 81), Canero, Boyd (Di Giacomo 60), McSwegan. Subs Not Used: Stewart, Murray. Booked: Marshall, Mahood, McSwegan, McLaughlin.
CELTIC: Broto, Mjallby, Balde, Varga, Agathe (Smith 74), Lennon, Petrov, Thompson, Maloney (Lambert 13), Larsson, Sutton. Subs Not Used: Douglas, McNamara, Crainey. Booked: Sutton, Thompson, Broto, Lennon, Mjallby. Goals: Sutton 16, 43, Thompson 54 pen, Petrov 83.
Referee: K Clark (Scotland).
