Celtic will unfurl the championship flag before Saturday’s game against early Premiership leaders Dundee United in a game that is live on Sky Sports at 12.45pm.
Former United striker Billy Dodds has seen Celtic in action four times this season and knows what it feels like to be part of a flag-raising day.
The Queen of the South coach said: “Celtic will have been glad to get the St Johnstone game played and to get a 3-0 win. They are going through a bit of a rebuilding process just now and that game could prove to be a significant building block for them.
“It had been a strange week after losing to Legia and then being re-instated. I felt they needed a result more than a performance at McDiarmid Park for confidence. They got that and better performances will come.
“It was an important win as it starts moving them away from the Legia game. The longer they had gone without playing, the more the disappointment from that game would have lingered.
“I had one Flag Day with Rangers when I was there and it is a special day for players. You cannot beat experiences like that. It is something that you spent 10 months working towards and to see the League Flag presented in that manner is special.
“The fans love it and it is always a great occasion and it is not an event that a lot of players get to experience in their career.”
The Scotland striker added: “I savoured the day and took it all in. I had scored two goals when the league was clinched at St Johnstone and that day was a bit special as well. When you are presented with the flag it brings memories like that flooding back.”
Dodds is convinced that former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara will be out to spoil the party, although United haven’t won this fixture at Parkhead since 1992.
He said: “United have made a cracking start and that is not a total surprise to me. Last season they had a spell when they were wiping the floor with teams and then had a spell when they could not get a result. When they are hot they are hot.
“They are hot just now and they still have a very capable squad despite losing great young talent in Andrew Robertson and Ryan Gauld.
“Some people thought that their defence would be suspect without Robertson there, and the loss of Gavin Gunning, but I did not think defence was their best attribute last season.
“I did not feel that it was always as secure as it could have been, so they have to be more consistent there to keep on this good run.
“However, their strength lay up front and they still have more than enough to hurt teams. They can finish high up the league if they keep that consistency going.”
Craig Stewart
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