Picture:James Spahr

The timing of the original Celebrity Supporter interviews – dying phase, in matters Reid, of the Peter the Great age, onset of Peter the Terrible – means that some can be read only as period pieces.

The magnificent filmmaker David – Lord to be more correct – Puttnam gave one such interview, as we slid hopelessly towards relegation during the first of our two record-breaking years as worst Premiership side in history.

Lord Puttnam – for an explanation of this improbable source of fanship, you will simply have to read on – was kind, and sympathetic. But he knew how dire we were, and said so.

Bob Murray admirer that he was (and probably remains), I hope he has been as invigorated as the rest of us by the accomplishments under Roy Keane and Niall Quinn. When he gets back to me, I shall let you in on his current thoughts.

For now, though, just cast your minds back to the kind of darker times we hope – have often hoped, if truth be known – will never return.

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