IT was a bit like sending out invitation cards to join King Leo in the lions' den.

Bairds Bar in the Gallowgate, in the east-end of Glasgow town, is indeed a Lions' den, a Lisbon Lions' den, and that was where Dalglish, King Kenny of that ilk, asked the media gang, armed with cameras, lights, microphones, pencils, and questions to join him for the pre-match discussion ahead of the crucial Old Firm game set to be played at Ibrox.

"I think it is important that the fans can come and watch us play and can watch us prepare and train, most things we do before matches," he said, "but to the best of my knowledge, they don't have too much experience of how the news is reported to them."

So, surrounded by walls, every inch of which are covered in Celtic memorabilia, from a remarkably well preserved framed poster proclaiming "The Bould Bhoys" to portraits of Thomson, Tully, Stein, et al, the broadcasting lads and lassies and the snappers, watched from the periphery by the local clientele as they supped their pints, went about their business.