AS A life-long Rangers supporter I was obviously disappointed at the results over the weekend. However, not as much as I would have expected since we have in essence known for about two months that we were not going to win the league - we have not played well enough to deserve it. But I have to say that I was more disappointed to read of the apparent snub to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern by Celtic in their moment of glory.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mr Ahern when I accompanied the Scottish Schoolgirls' basketball team to Dublin at Christmas for a tournament. The Taoiseach delivered the speech at the opening reception and a couple of things struck me about him.

First was his very real knowledge of an enthusiasm for sport, and his concern and interest in young people. He spent a great deal of time chatting to our players and making himself available for any number of photographs. He couldn't have been more unassuming or considerate.

Second was his real passion for Celtic. I was introduced to him as a ''bluenose'' from Glasgow, and in our conversation he said that ''he did not mind us beating them at basketball so long as we didn't get 10 in a row''.

We were able to to indulge in banter about this, but it was obvious that he had a real enthusiasm for Celtic.

For the club therefore to deliver this snub to him when they should have seen it as an honour just baffles me. But it is unfortunately so typical of how we do things in sport in this country.

All too often politics and personalities get in the way of people. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Wim Jansen is also so upset with his situation.

The Irish on the other hand are very firmly convinced that sport is about people first and that may be a factor in the success of the likes of Michelle Smith, Catherine McKiernan, Sonya O'Sullivan, and more recently their under-16 footballers.

Perhaps when we realise that sport is about how we interact with each other one on one then we may get beyond our pettiness and start to achieve our potential.

Ironically, perhaps Gerry Adams is made more welcome in Stormont these days than Bertie Ahern was at Celtic Park. I would hope that a letter of apology is winging its way to Ireland from the East End of Glasgow.

James Lay,

14 Argyle Gardens,

Lennoxtown.

May 11.