Buoyed up and ready for final

The tapestry of smiling faces, young and old, clutching photographs, jerseys and balls, all to be signed must have proved a welcome distraction for Celtic captain Tom Boyd, especially when contrasted with the events of the last 10 days.

Celtic's enforced abdication as Scottish Premier League champions inflicted by bitter old firm rivals Rangers was rendered all the more unpalatable by the fact that the final throes of the league unravelled ignominiously for the champions at Celtic Park. Rangers won 3-0, two Celtic players were dismissed and referee Hugh Dallas was hit by a coin, drawing blood.

Boyd, sitting alongside long-term injury victim Marc Rieper, was in Dublin to open the new Celtic store in the Jervis Street Centre, the third day of an Irish tour that saw them travel to Omagh and Dublin before leaving for Kerry today, where they hope to launch details on a golf classic.

Boyd conceded that losing the championship hurt deeply but that the opportunity for revenge, Saturday week's Scottish Cup final against Rangers, was something to which the Celtic players were looking forward.

"We now have a chance to beat Rangers and what better way to do it than a Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park."

Boyd outlined the reasons why he felt that Celtic's defence of their league title ended in failure. "I think there were a number of factors. It took us a while to gel as a team at the start of the season. Then we suffered a horrendous injury list that never seemed to stop. We were lucky to be able to field the same team for a couple of matches in-a-row.

"I also believe that our form away from home wasn't good enough. We lost too many games. But it hasn't all been negative. We played some great football before losing our way again a bit towards the end of the season."

For Danish international Marc Rieper, the season has been one of frustration, sidelined since last October with first an ankle and then a toe injury. "I first had an operation on my ankle which went very well. While in rehabilitation my toe got very stiff. I couldn't move so another operation was required and it is still not 100 percent.

"It's been a frustrating season and while I have been able to work on the bike and do some weight training, that is about the extent of the physical activity." A keen golfer, Rieper has managed a few holes but concedes he has had to be very careful.

"I suppose that in the past I have been fortunate with injury, I think I hold the Danish record for the most consecutive caps. I can't complain too much but at this stage I will just have to wait and see how the toe reacts and hopefully I will be able to rejoin the lads for pre-season training."