Football - Pre-Season - Liverpool FC Training HONG KONG - Thursday, July 24, 2025: Liverpool s Luca Stephenson L challenges Cody Gakpo during a training session at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong ahead of the Hong Kong Football Festival 2025 pre-season tournament, on Day Four of the club s Asia Tour. Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda HONG KONG Kai Tak Stadium HONG KONG CHINA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK Copyright: xPropagandaxPhotoxAgencyx 2025-07-24-192-LFC_Asia_Tour_Day_4
Celtic TV commentator Peter Grant could not resist twisting the knife into Hearts fans during the Hoops’ pre-season clash against Sporting.
The Jambos suffered one of the most painful final-day title collapses in Scottish football memory, coming agonisingly close to a historic Scottish Premiership triumph.
Celtic staged a dramatic late turnaround to win 3-1 and claim the title, shattering Hearts’ dreams in cruel and dramatic fashion.
The pain of that defeat is still raw for the Gorgie faithful, even as a new season edges closer on the horizon.
The moment that sparked Grant’s jab came when the camera cut to Celtic icon James Forrest during the pre-season match broadcast.
Commentator Gerry McCulloch noted the connection to Hearts, saying: “James, who’s brother Alan has joined Dundee from Hearts – who will take on Celtic at Celtic Park in the league opener.”
That mention of Alan Forrest’s move from Tynecastle to Dundee was all the invitation Grant needed to land his dig.
The former Celtic defender quipped: “So, he is there to see us lifting the title, and now he is here to see us lifting the flag?”
McCulloch could barely contain his reaction to the remark, responding simply: “Oh, you are cruel.”
The exchange highlights just how significant Celtic’s late title victory was, splitting even the Forrest household between Parkhead glory and Tynecastle heartbreak.
James Forrest claimed championship glory with Celtic while his brother Alan was part of the Hearts side that fell just short of that historic title win.
Alan Forrest has since departed Tynecastle, joining Dundee as he looks to begin a new chapter following the disappointment of the title race collapse.
The league opener between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park promises to be a highly charged occasion, with the memory of last season’s finale still burning fiercely.
Grant’s cheeky broadcast moment will do little to ease the tension heading into what is already set to be a compelling start to the new Scottish Premiership campaign.
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