IT was just a brief clip, less than a minute long, but if offered a fleeting glimpse of what is now, thankfully, a bygone era all the same.
The previously unseen archive footage of a Rangers squad giving a sectarian song a lusty rendition during the late 1980s in the first episode of BBC Scotland's excellent Scotland's Game programme was startling.
"Dundee, Hamilton, f*** the Pope and the Vatican", the players bellowed in unison as they celebrated a title victory in a dressing room while the television cameras rolled and Chick Young waited to conduct an interview.
It is unthinkable that such scenes would be tolerated in this more enlightened age. Can you imagine the furore on social media websites, internet message boards and radio phone-ins? The repercussions for the individuals involved and their club would be considerable. Political condemnation would doubtless be forthcoming.
The waspish online wag who enquired if Tony McGlennan would take retrospective disciplinary action in the wake of the programme was joking. But the SFA compliance officer would certainly be compelled to act if such behaviour was witnessed today.
It was a reminder of how far this country has come in its fight against bigotry in recent years and how much society has changed for the better. What was once deemed acceptable and even harmless is now outlawed and abhorred. However, events this season underline that much work still remains to be done.
The Ladbrokes Premiership match between Kilmarnock and Rangers at Rugby Park last month, a game which was screened live across the United Kingdom on BT Sport, was marred by several audible airings of The Billy Boys.
The broadcaster received numerous complaints from armchair viewers and Police Scotland last week confirmed they had arrested two men in connection with alleged offences contrary to the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.
The day after the match in Ayrshire the Celtic league game against Aberdeen at Parkhead was shown nationwide by Sky Sports. "Ooh, ah, up the 'Ra," was clearly heard emanating from the new safe-standing section shortly after kick-off.
It is, alas, highly unlikely that the first Glasgow derby of the 2016/17 campaign, and the first meeting between the city rivals in the top flight in over four years, at Celtic Park at noon this Saturday will pass off without similar incidents.
The encounter between Brendan Rodgers's team and Mark Warburton's side is a fascinating one for many reasons and should make for compelling viewing.
The Ibrox club has strengthened considerably this summer in the hope of challenging for the Premiership. The arrival of the likes of Joey Barton, Niko Kranjcar and, just last week, Philippe Senderos has excited their followers. Yet, they have been performing unconvincingly.
Their Parkhead counterparts, meanwhile, have invested heavily to bring in Rodgers and financed the acquisition of Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair and Kolo Toure. Their form in the opening weeks of the new term has often been highly impressive.
Seeing how Barton, who confidently predicted he would be the best player in the country when he arrived in the summer, fares against a rejuvenated Scott Brown, who he dismissed as not being in his league, will be interesting. If, that is, he is selected.
It will be a shame, then, if the action on the field in the East End this weekend is overshadowed by wearisome controversies about chants or banners. But the chances are it will be.
Clearly, for all of the anti-sectarian initiatives which are in place, not enough is being done to address this issue. There is no appetite for strict liability, which enables a governing body to punish a club for the misconduct of their fans regardless of the precautionary measures they have carried out, either.
It was ironic that Rangers directors released a scathing statement this week castigating the SFA for failing to take firmer action against Hibernian over the Scottish Cup final unrest.
For Rangers, albeit under a former regime, were one of the clubs which rejected strict liability, which SFA chief executive Stewart Regan had publicly urged them to embrace, on not one but two occasions.
Anyway, if the SFA had been able to discipline Hibs for the appalling assaults carried out on Rangers players and staff as they left the field at Hampden in May they would also have hammered the Ibrox club.
A tiny minority of Rangers fans, less than one per cent, invaded the pitch and attacked Hibs supporters celebrating their historic cup victory.
The SPFL insist they are committed to tackling fan disorder. Their ludicrous plan to install state-funded facial recognition technology at turnstiles failed. But their proposals to introduce a more robust set of sanctions must now be accepted if sectarianism is ever to be eradicated.
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