An awfully long way from Glasgow, they’re preparing to celebrate another chapter in the Bhoys’ own story, writes Mike Amos in this week's Backtrack column

SOME time this weekend, very likely, Celtic are going to win the Scottish Premier League by the length of Sauchiehall Street, and for the sixth season in succession.

Invincible if not invisible, they have long been out of sight, nonetheless. Glasgow may still have two Big Yins, but one of them’s Billy Connolly.

The Old Firm is latterly destabilised. “I worked through two periods of nine successive wins for both Rangers and Celtic but the gap has never been as wide as this,” veteran broadcaster Archie Macpherson told The Times a few weeks back.

“It’s as uncompetitive a season as ever I’ve seen. Football abhors monotony as nature abhors a vacuum.”

The Times headline was “Scotland: the worst title race in Europe since 1932”, but for Eddie McNamee and Mick O’Hara familiarity only breeds content.

“In England you still talk about the big six,” says Eddie, 64. “In Scotland there’s now a momentous gulf between us and the rest. Maybe other teams will close it, but I can’t see it happening any time soon.”

The Northern Echo: 05/04/06 SPLCELTIC v HEARTS (1-0)CELTIC PARK - GLASGOWFresh back from injury, Celtic's John Hartson cuts a familiar pose as he celebrates his very early opener in what could be and SPL clinching game

Celtic's John Hartson cuts a familiar pose as he celebrates one of 88 goals in 146 Celtic appearances between 2001-2006

Hooked, hooped, they live in East Cleveland, have long helped run the Loftus branch of the Celtic Supporters Club, regularly make 15-hour round trips via Middlesbrough and Darlington in order to watch their heroes. Sometimes they’re joined by the Bhoys of the Colburn branch, near Catterick Garrison.

Against the lesser likes of Partick Thistle, Motherwell and Ross County doesn’t it get a bit boring? Isn’t there a case for the Monopolies Commission? “You never lose that buzz when Celtic win a game, It doesn’t matter who it’s against,” says Mick.

“The coach ride back passes an awful lot more quickly if you’ve won. You can only beat what’s in front of you.”

EDDIE was born in Bonnyrigg, had trials for Bonnyrigg Rose and games with Hibs Juniors, moved south with his parents in 1969 and on the first day found a letter inviting him for trials at Middlesbrough.

It didn’t work out. “I had the skill but not the speed,” he says. “Nothing to do with drinking black and tan at the age of 13.”

Though he had a few games with Whitby Town and with Guisborough, most of the rest of his football career was in local leagues. “It was the worst thing I ever did; because I’d played at a higher level everyone just kicked lumps out of me.

“I think I got 15 red cards, was almost sine died once. Probably I had quite a short fuse.”

Mick – as might be supposed is Irish – Wexford boy, crossed the sea to work for Cleveland Potash at Boulby. Accent and allegiance have survived the transition.

“Everyone in Ireland supports Celtic,” he insists, perhaps arguably. “They might have different English teams, but if they have a Scottish team, it’s Celtic.

“It’s a real family club. You can’t beat the atmosphere at Celtic Park but anywhere you go in the world, if you meet the green-and-white hoops you’re with friends for life.

“In the 1990s it was Rangers won almost everything. We’re enjoying the boot on the other foot.”

THE branch was formed 37 years ago, membership now roughly split 50-50 between English and Scottish. Officially it’s the John Hartson Loftus branch after the Welshman who scored 88 goals in 146 Celtic appearances between 2001-2006.

Now back in Swansea, the man they called Big Bad John has even been a guest at one of their celebrations in Whitby, as have green-and-white legends like Billy McNeil, Bertie Auld and Tommy Gemmell.

In football terms Loftus may offer little alternative attraction, though the village side – then in the Cleveland League – reached the FA Amateur Cup semi-final in 1922 before losing to the mighty Bishop Auckland.

A quarter of a century earlier, Loftus Albion had made headlines, winning 2-1 in a Northern League game against Stockton Vulcan when the match was abandoned because both balls had burst.

Vulcan claimed a replay, insisting that five minutes had remained. Albion disputed it, adamant that there were just four-and-three-quarter minutes. The game was replayed.

We meet at Eddie’s place in nearby Skelton, the word “Rangers” forbidden from best parlour utterance. He calls them “The other mob,” his mate prefers “Blue noses.”

Particularly they’re proud that the branch has raised enormous amounts for charity, probably £40-£50,000 for the Butterwick Hospice in Stockton, around £20,000 for the Great North Air Ambulance and numerous smaller donations.

“It’s part of what we’re about, family,” says Eddie, also on the committee down the coast at Whitby Town.

The highlight, they agree, was a week-long trip in 2003 to a European tie in Seville, an occasion when Bhoys would be boys and no matter that Celtic narrowly lost, 3-2. “The missus wanted to go,” says Eddie. “I told her she didn’t understand football.”

The nadir may have been a Scottish League Cup semi-final at Ibrox Park in which they lost on penalties to Raith Rovers. “It was the Ibrox effect,” says Mick, though they’ve long avoided Old Firm games, anyway.

“It was getting very dodgy, quite nasty,” says Eddie. “One day it got really violent. They were setting fire to cars, everything, and mostly it was Celtic fans which was unusual. What happened was disgraceful; we try to watch it on television now.”

CELTIC have won 27 of their 29 league games this season, drawn the other two – against Rangers and bottom club Inverness Caledonian Thistle – and have a 58 goal difference, 25 points clear of Aberdeen in second place. Rangers are eight points further adrift in third, goal difference of just nine.

Overall, however, Rangers still lead 54-47 in the perennial two-horse race for the top division title, though the last triumph was in 2010-11, which may seem like another age. Celtic have lifted the Scottish Cup 36 times to their rivals’ 33 and (lest we forget) were European champions in 1966-67.

A 48th Celtic title should be clinched in 12 30pm kick-off at Hearts on Sunday though, ironically, neither Eddie nor Mick can make the match.

Neither admits to the slightest hope that they might just manage a point, save the celebration for the following home game. “Domination is just a fact of life, it happens in other European countries, too,” says Mick.

“Honestly, it couldn’t happen to a nicer football club. You’re not going to find us complaining.”