Partick Thistle’s lesson for Kilmarnock as they fill Firhill for Celtic visit | OneFootball

Celtic’s attention turns to the defence of the Premier Sports League Cup and that can be achieved without the need to leave Glasgow. Indeed it’s been over two years since Celtic played a League Cup tie outside of Glasgow, when Brendan Rodgers’ side lost 1-0 at Rugby Park on 20 August 2023.

Kilmarnock v Celtic – Viaplay Cup – Second Round – The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park Celtic’s Sead Haksabanovic is fouled by Kilmarnock’s Lewis Mayo during the League Cup match at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, Sunday August 20, 2023. Photo Steve Welsh

Sead Haksabanovic penalty denied at Rugby Park

The photograph above from that match shows Sead Haksabanovic being brought down deep into stoppage time – but no penalty was awarded, these things even themselves out they say. Or is it good things come to those who wait?

Benjamin Nygren looks on as James Forrest’s shot is blocked. Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Firhill for Thrills

The quarter final tie against Partick Thistle this Sunday 21 September at Firhill should be a decent match with a great atmosphere as the ambitious Championship club decided after consulting the supporter to maximise their revenue by opening up their largest strand to Celtic supporters with the holders receiving just over 5000 tickets.

Partick Thistle v Celtic, Firhill May 2017 as the Celtic support pays tribute to the Lisbon Lions. Photographs by Vagelis Georgariou

Compare and contrast with Rugby Park on Sunday with thousands of empty seats in the home end. They could easily have filled both stand behind the goals and accommodated their own support elsewhere and still have empty seats.

Brendan Rodgers at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock v Celtic, 14 September 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

You might recall Brendan Rodgers during his first spell as Celtic manager stating that he’d never seen a good game of football on a plastic pitch and maybe the lack of entertainment is the reason that the Kilmarnock support has reduced? With a grass pitch coming back down there next season maybe their crowds will rise.

But Partick Thistle, like St Johnstone last season, are clearly doing the right thing by upping the away allocation to maximise their revenue and also as a side benefit help show Scottish football in a better light on television screens.

Kevin Clancy in charge on Sunday

Yesterday the Scottish FA confirmed the match officials for the Partick Thistle v Celtic cup-tie on Sunday afternoon, in a match that will NOT provide the safety net that VAR, for all its faults clearly brings to the referee himself and indeed both teams.

Referee Kevin Clancy at Celtic Park, Photo Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

That means that Kevin Clancy, the match referee, will make all the calls himself and he will be assisted by Ross Macleod and David Dunne.

Celtic at Tynecastle next month

Meanwhile Celtic’s Scottish Premiership fixture against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday, 26 October will now kick off at 12:00pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Hearts are currently level on points with Celtic and having won at Ibrox at the weekend will look to maintain that momentum before hosting the Champions in what is looking like the game of the season so far.

theRangers manager Russell Martin during the Scottish Premiership match between theRangers and Hearts at Ibrox on September 13, 2025. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)

theRangers can hit rock bottom

Talking of the latest Ibrox side, incredibly they can actually be bottom of the Scottish Premiership by the time they return to league action a week on Sunday away to Livingston. How funny would that be?

Here’s Sebastian Tounekti speaking to The Celtic Star and the three other Celtic fan media outlets yesterday afternoon, watch the video below to hear all the questions and the new Celtic winger’s responses…

Celtic in the Eighties is out now. It’s our fastest selling book ever and accordingly stocks are now very low indeed, so get it while you can with just a hundred copies remaining.

Celtic in the Eighties by the late, great David Potter is out now on Celtic Star Books.  You can purchase your copy directly from Celticstarbooks.com for same day postage.

Order Celtic in the Eighties today, you’ll be glad you did, it’s a fabulous read!

OUT NOW! Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Foreword by Danny McGrain. Published on Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.

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