IT was 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 King Kenny, Dalglish 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 tomorrow's crucial Old Firm game 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 day's business.

When the media train rolled along to the front door of the public bar, there was some astonishment, as faces that had never been seen in the establishment, where, presumably, most folk know each other, trundled in.

To be fair, there was polite askance and occasional mixing as all of us awaited the man himself.

When he appeared, Kenny was swamped by fans and photographers, before he sat down for his TV and radio sessions.

Next up it was our turn, the scribblers, who had been shepherded into the lounge bar which, in contrast to next door, was modest in its decor, apart, perhaps, from the green-and-white wall-paper.

On the walls were fascinating little scenes from Glasgow's past, a tram car in Argyle Street and another in Bridgeton Cross, as well as a poster advertising ''Characters of Glasgow.''

Some of those might well have been next door but, as we smuggled into a corner with Dalglish among us and Vidar Riseth, who surely has never seen anything like it in his native Norway, the lounge customers lined up at the great man's back and listened intently to the question and answer session.

In such circumstances challenging questions are at a premium, as you might imagine, but the Fourth Estate soldiered on gamely. ''I am comfortable, I don't know about you,'' said the manager, ''This is not about taking the club to the fans. They already are the club. It is a case of us being as up front as we can be.

''They can see this for themselves and judge it for themselves. There is no harm in letting them see how people work. We have got to let them hear what we say to yourselves.

''I think they have got be involved in as many things to do with the club as possible. The more knowledge they have of what goes on, the more they can have a qualified opinion.''

Dalglish said that, if his team could play as well as they did in the last game at Parkhead, when they lost 1-0, but get a break this time, he would be confident of getting a good result. He has no new injury concerns.

Dalglish dismissed stories that Willem II coach Co Adriaanse has been offered a deal by Celtic to take over as manager.

''We have not approached anyone,'' he said, ''and we will do what we have said we would do all along, sit down and discuss the situation at the end of the month.''

However, the word from Holland is that Adriaanse, the most sought-after rising star in the Dutch coaching system, has indicated his interest in the job at Parkhead. ''He would consider it one of the few that would match his ambitions.'' I was told. However, it may all depend on whether Kenny himself has made up his mind about whether he should return to the coal face on a a permanent basis.

Meanwhile, across the city at Ibrox, but not in the District Bar, Rangers manager Dick Advocaat did his bit to fill the acres of space and airwaves that will be filled before the last Old Firm game of the season is off and running.

Advocaat has ruled out Craig Moore with a knee injury but Claudio Reyna and Arthur Numan are back.

Wherever they held their press conferences, and who knows? maybe it will be in the Falls Road and Shankhill next time, the Old Firm have got to get on with the business in hand tomorrow.

Unusually for this fixture, perhaps, Celtic can be backed at 11-4, while Rangers are 10-11 but, experience has shown over many years that it is a risky business making presumptions based on logic for this game.

It is the fact that Rangers are already 12 points ahead in the Premier League championship and, while no-one within howling distance of Ibrox would dare say so, a draw would be quite satisfactory from their perspective.

They would rather like to send their fans home with a victory, a lead of 15 points, and the champagne chilling in the boot room, but it is different in Celtic's case.

They are well aware, despite their public pronouncements, that the title is virtually wrapped up, but they are equally aware that a win against their rivals, which would be the first this season, would help ease the suffering that may face the supporters on the run to the line.

This is the Parkhead side's last chance, not only to beat Rangers, but also to keep their season going with the hope, however slight it may be, that the championship could still be theirs.