CELTIC will arrive at Rugby Park this afternoon ready for a party.
Their supporters, who are to be housed in three of the four stands, will expect a bit of a do as well, with only a point required to secure the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title. Job done. Champagne opened. Fun times for all.
Well, not quite. While the financial benefit of welcoming a bumper visiting support is obvious for Kilmarnock's board, the sound of them enjoying themselves in the stands is enough to give Cammy Bell a sore head to rival any they may incur the following day.
The Kilmarnock goalkeeper can still recall the jubilation that greeted Rangers as they lifted the league trophy in Kilmarnock and he is intent on avoiding a similar scenario when Celtic turn up today.
"We're determined to spoil it after what happened last season, we have got a lot of bad memories of that," said the Scotland internationalist. "For us to lose another game that cost the title being won at our stadium would not be good. The experience from last year wasn't good but the boys will take into it the game on Saturday knowing that we need to stay tight for the first half hour.
"We need to keep ourselves in the game. Last season we got ourselves out the game in the first 10 minutes, which was disappointing. As soon as Rangers went 3-0 up, everyone knew they were going to win the title. Hopefully, this season we will keep it tight in the first half and get something in the second half."
Bell has experience of shutting Celtic out with his imperious display against the Parkhead side in Kilmarnock's Scottish Communities League Cup final victory last month. That performance has reportedly attracted interest from West Ham United, but Bell is focused on his Kilmarnock career.
"It's nothing I know about, I just read the papers like everyone else," said the 25-year-old. "I've always said I want to go down south at some point but it needs to be the right time. Hopefully I'll see my contract out at Kilmarnock."
Bell is convinced he is a better goalkeeper than this time last season, after which he signed a new two-year contract. "I think every year I will hopefully improve," he said. "Experience is a massive thing for a goalkeeper and to keep playing every week is a big thing. I wouldn't move somewhere to sit on a bench. It wouldn't benefit me at my age."
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