There was an aroma of expectancy in the air as party time once again descended upon Glasgow's east end.
It wasn't built on arrogance though, rather a base of bravado as the conquering heroes once again strolled through Celtic Park's doors with Scotland's biggest prize under their arms. Even during the heady heights of Brendan Rodgers' Invincibles, there were murmurings of a house of cards waiting to collapse, but Ange Postecoglou's high-octane stars were once again a royal flush on coronation weekend.
Good, bad, indifferent, no matter how they perform, the taste of victory is usually the end result. And as the fireworks and flares rained upon the streets and immediate vicinity around Parkhead, the sound of a Treble rolling over the hill was almost as loud as the crackling of another pyrotechnic that was shot up into the mild Spring sky. 11 of these parties have been had in 12 years, but its taste remains as sweet as the other 52 titles.
Nobody - or very few at least - were predicting such joy when Postecoglou arrived in Glasgow. Some sneered at his CV, others fell over every syllable in his name like he was an arrangement of hurdles at the Olympics.
He came armed with relentless mentality, attacking football and a clutch of J League stars. Kyogo's goals served with side orders of Daizen Maeda pace and Reo Hatate technique providing an oriental spark that's now a staple.
That loveable forward is probably the man who embodies it all. 'Kyogo's the man', one fan said, while the rest of those in attendance did his now trademark run and jump into dance as songs of being top of the league blared. A language barrier exists between he and his Celtic people, but his actions have told tales as loud as the great forwards before him.
There's still one Inverness-shaped challenge, picture Nessie, to get past before the ultimate glory is landed. But the way they are going, there appears little that is going to stop the Angeball juggernaut from rolling on. The most powerful thing about this? Everybody knows it, from the fans who hung on to every word he blared out a microphone to the rivals across the land currently struggling to keep pace with his side's relentless pace.
So as the team bus rolled in from Tynecastle and the scene of yet another victory, there were what looked to be thousands surrounding the Celtic Way. This is where Postecoglou will march the title up and down in their coronating match against Aberdeen, but for this moment, it was used as a launch pad for all things pyro.
Everybody grinning from ear to ear, there was soon a reminder of what it was like when the teacher nipped out the room at school. There were giggles, laughter and songs aplenty, but then Mr Postecoglou stepped up to address the masses and soon everyone was silent.
He has such a command over his audience. In a scene that wouldn't look amiss on Black Mirror or your local Asda when those Government warnings went off a few weeks back, everybody quickly flashed their heads towards the stadium's main entrance to try to get a glimpse of their leader.
Those same three words which kicked his reign into gear were uttered - 'we never stop.' Know that scene from the Simpsons, 'say the line Bart' before everyone in class lets out a huge cheer? Yeah, that's applicable.
Up stepped the skipper, then Joe Hart, then Greg Taylor, and soon the fireworks and flares started again. There were some group huddling if that was your type of thing or there was beachball head tennis, fun for all the family.
The players have faced challenges all season but perhaps their toughest came in actually trying to get home from this party. It must have been a wind-up to send Alistair Johnston down London Road amid the frantic scenes while Kyogo was all too happy to honk his horn and play to the gallery, as Scott Bain was spotted etched with a permanent grin.
There's a reason Postecoglou's mantra sticks – it's because his team and their fans abide by it like it is gospel. They know that this is a momentary pause to reflect and unwind, before the relentless cauldron of Glasgow kicks in again and the pressure heightens to the seismic levels they plateau at.
An eye is already being cast towards the continent amid comparisons to the great Martin O'Neill side. For the younger generation, it hasn't been better than this, but some of the older crew want to see rampancy on the continent before fully succumbing to the fact that even for all they have witnessed, they might be living through a golden era.
You can wager highly that Postecoglou will aim to stand of the shoulders of such giants, even if he's too humble to admit he's closer than he thinks to them. He's got Celtic in the palm of his hand, and while many will wake from this epic occasion with thumping heads, it seems unwise to suggest a sobering moment is on the horizon anytime soon with the Aussie leader's at the helm.
