IRISH Prime Minister Bertie Ahern will join 50,000 Celtic fans today to support the club in its bid to win the Scottish league championship for the first time in a decade, writes Keith Sinclair.
The Taoiseach will watch the match between Celtic and St Johnstone, which Celtic must win to guarantee victory in the league, as a guest of Mr Brian Dempsey, a former director of the club and well-known Glasgow businessman.
Mr Ahern, a life-long Celtic supporter, will be the first Taoiseach to watch Celtic play live in Scotland since Eamon de Valera in 1939.
He will be joined by a party of about seven from The Dail and the Irish Embassy in London, who will also attend a private dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow tonight.
Other guests at the dinner will include Cardinal Thomas Winning, the leader of Scotland's 800,000 Roman Catholics, Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar, Government Ministers Brian Wilson and Tom Clarke, SNP leader Alex Salmond, and Glasgow City Council leader Frank McAveety.
Meanwhile, police are urging supporters to be on their best behaviour when one of the most exciting football league championships in years is decided today .
Rangers will secure a world record 10th league championship in a row if they beat Dundee United at Tannadice and Celtic lose or draw.
In addition to the capacity crowd at Celtic Park, about 30,000 fans at Ibrox will watch a live ''beamback'' on giant television screens of Rangers' match from Dundee.
A police spokeswoman said yesterday: ''After the last couple of Old Firm games, which were televised, the number of arrests were down so the fans have certainly been very well behaved and we are urging them to enjoy the day and not let their emotions get the better of their behaviour.''
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