McDonald: This Was For Tommy
CELTIC Socceroo striker Scott McDonald dedicated the team's Premier League triumph to former coach Tommy Burns after victory at Dundee United.
Hoops legend Burns, who died seven days ago, had been first-team coach at Celtic and McDonald was quick to pay tribute following the 1-0 win at Tannadice.
"We loved him," McDonald told BBC Radio Scotland. "He was just a gentleman at heart. God rest his soul.
"We did this for you Tommy - God bless."
McDonald famously denied Celtic the SPL title in 2005 when his two late goals for Motherwell against the Hoops handed the trophy to Rangers.
The Australian, who finished the season as the SPL's top scorer, was delighted to play his part in Celtic's third championship in a row.
"It's something I'll never forget," he said. "After three years ago, it's great to put that right and I'm certainly going to enjoy this."
Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell hailed the achievement of Gordon Strachan's team who for a long stretch of the season looked set to lose the title to Rangers.
Rangers' 2-0 defeat at Aberdeen tonight ended their hopes, with Celtic's two Old Firm victories in April proving the turning point in the campaign.
"We've been written off and come back," Lawwell told BBC Radio Scotland. "It's a wonderful night for this club.
"It's been a week for this club that we should all be proud of. It's been a very emotional week - terrible grief, terrible sorrow - but tonight we can be proud to be a Celtic supporter."
Lawwell offered praise for manager Strachan who became the first Celtic manager since Jock Stein to win a hat-trick of league titles.
"He goes down in Celtic's history as a legend," Lawwell said.
Striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink got the game's only goal at Tannadice, and he praised Burns as the Celtic supporters in the crowd sang the name of the club's former manager.
"It's incredible," said the Dutchman. "It's about Tommy Burns, it's a tribute to him.
"We did it and it's a great feeling."
Winger Aiden McGeady added on Setanta: "It's not been a perfect season but we've done amazingly to get back into it and win the league."
McGeady came through the ranks at Parkhead and knew Burns well, which made it inevitable he would think of his former coach as the title came Celtic's way.
"It crossed my mind a few times, yes," said McGeady.
"Obviously Tommy's looking down on us and gave us a bit of luck tonight."
Manager Strachan was under intense pressure when Rangers looked set to be convincing winners of the league.
Tonight he told BBC Radio Scotland: "This has been one of the most fantastic occasions of my life.
"I'm with a bunch of guys who believed in me and I believed in them.
"I really do believe this is one the most satisfying nights of my life - not for me really but to see the players who have come under a lot of pressure during the season
"What I'm going to do now is - and it's only fair - I'm going to go away and be with people who have supported and believed in us the whole season through."
Celtic chairman John Reid was full of admiration for Strachan whose side finished their campaign with seven straight wins.
Reid, who took up his role in November, was delighted to see the Hoops manager show his team remain the team to beat in the SPL.
Reid told BBC Radio Scotland: "I'm delighted not only for the manner in which we won this but for the fans who, when we were going through a sticky patch, the vast majority stuck with us despite all of the stuff that was being written.
"I said a couple of months ago that what we needed was character and courage, and a degree of unity, everybody behind the team.
"And, by God, we certainly got that.
"And I'm particularly delighted for Gordon Strachan.
"I said on the night we played AC Milan [in the Champions League] that Gordon had the chance to make history.
"I took a lot of stick with that because some people said I compared him with Jock Stein.
"I've always regarded Jock as unique. There'll never be another Jock Stein.
"But to be the only other manager apart from Willie Maley and Jock Stein to have won three in a row, I think Gordon had answered his critics in the best way to do it, on the football park.
"And he's done it by trying to play the Celtic way."
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I would like to say I knew this would happen with Tommys passing last week. Tommy was very much an inspiration to the hoops and his memory and legacy would very much have been in the forefront of the minds of the team that took the field yesterday. They wouldve been fired up in order to live up to him.