Celtic throw Gio an unexpected Rangers life jacket amid depressing buffoonery - Keith Jackson

At a time when Celtic have so much to celebrate and to feel good about, the objectionable buffoonery witnessed at St Mirren yesterday was no more surprising than it was depressing. Because, while Ange Postecoglou has built a side to be proud of and is busy parading it around in the Champions League, a large rump of the club’s supporters remain apparently hellbent on trashing its reputation on a global scale.

The obnoxious protests against the royal family at a time of national mourning were both pathetic and predictable and designed to provoke maximum offence and outrage. Of course, there is such a thing as freedom of speech but, even so, there is a time and place to make such a point. And Paisley yesterday afternoon - on the eve of the funeral of the Queen - was neither of them. Rather, it was vulgar and lacking in class which does not reflect well on the Scottish game in general.

It must be said, Celtic’s supporters were not the only ones to bring a big steaming pile of shame to their own doorstep on toe curling weekend for Scotland’s top flight. Dundee United felt the need to issue a statement after being embarrassed into action by its own travelling support at Ibrox. And there were similar scenes at Easter Road ahead of the game between Hibs and Aberdeen.

Sadly, none of it was shocking, at least not to those of us who have become accustomed to - and maybe desensitised by - the deplorable crassness which so often attaches itself to our national sport like a nasty smell. On the field, Ange Postecoglou suffered a first league defeat in almost exactly a year since his last loss in Livingston. But credit here where it is due.

While Celtic’s players put on a performance to match their drab third shirts, St Mirren’s was