Sporting cruelty was visited on Heart of Midlothian at the weekend as Celtic, with much to prove after a pitiful display against AC Milan, slammed in seven goals without reply in a truly sumptuous performance.

As if they've not had enough to put up with at Tynecastle, discovering only last Friday that the club is likely to exit administration in the new year.

Hearts remain impoverished on and off the field and are very likely heading for relegation with a team of mere striplings.

I was impressed by the vim and vigour of the Hoops, certainly, yet could not help but wonder what half such a showing might have yielded on the Champions League stage.

Out of Europe altogether, without doubt his players owed Neil Lennon and the support one hell of a result. They got it - and despite the manager hailing the win as "utopian," the best of his 200 games in charge - we would be foolish to ignore the bigger picture.

Their greatest margin of victory ever over the Jambos tells us much about Celtic right now. The Scottish champions and league leaders are in a ne'er before seen position of domestic dominance but, if we are honest, unable to trouble Europe's grandest houses on a regular basis.

Lennon is eager to reprise the continental successes of last season but facing sides like Hearts week after week is really not enough to sufficiently sharpen their wits nor quicken their feet for such jousts. Money will need to be spent with the manager facing what he has called "a crucial month" of January transfer window activity.

Yet it is obvious from the summer that some first-choice targets just don't fancy Scotland no matter the temptation of a few garlands from Uefa's great fair. Tricky, then, but there we have it.

Sections of the Parkhead support so angered by the 3-0 defeat to the Rossoneri would do well to retain some perspective and remember the very real achievements of recent times given the restrictions of the Scottish game.

It would, of course, be impossible to write about Celtic, or about Glasgow without thinking of the tragedy of last Friday night in that city.

Among the dead as a result of the helicopter crash at the Clutha Bar was Gary Arthur, whose daughter Chloe Arthur plays for Celtic and Scotland's women's teams. At this dreadful time that young lady will not want for support from fans of the club and football in general.

We should also record with pride the wonderfully well-observed silences in tribute to the dead. Rangers and Falkirk led the way on Saturday lunchtime but there was real poignancy at Tynecastle where Ms Arthur's male colleagues stood arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder, to remember.

Football means so very little at such times, it is nothing more than a joyous member of the chorusline of life. The show went on as it ever shall and, fittingly, what a show it was from Celtic.

Rovers deserve moment in the sun after shocking Motherwell in Cup

Every dog has its day but some have to wait longer than others to bark. Albion Rovers, for example, who nipped Motherwell's ankles and worried them right out of the Scottish Cup on Saturday.

As shocks go it may not have been quite in the same category as Berwick beating Rangers or Inverness seeing off Celtic but it comes mighty close.

Rovers are perennial bit-part players in the game, their greatest moment to date being a solitary Cup final appearance back in 1920.

With a last minute goal the part-timers, third-bottom of League Two, upended
an outfit third top of the Premiership. That they did so at Hamilton's New Douglas Park and not their own draughty old
Cliftonhill ground, made their first-ever victory over the Steelmen all the
more noteworthy.

The whole experience left Stuart McCall reeling. The Motherwell boss said he felt "numb" afterwards.

Nothing but delight for Rovers though.

By all accounts they fully deserved
their place in the last 16 and have
been rewarded with a home tie
against Stenhousemuir.

Around Coatbridge there will be
dreams of reaching Hampden once more.

Now that really would be recompense for those long years of underdoggery.

Jamieson is kidding no-one about scare

It is perhaps understandable that swimmer Michael Jamieson has sought to make light of having his heart restarted after an intensive training session but it was still a shocking revelation.

Such things we do not expect from a 25-year-old Olympic silver medallist but the Glaswegian took to Twitter last week to describe as "pretty cool" what must go down as a major scare.

By the time of the tweet he'd been cleared to resume training and no doubt felt the need to allay fears about his long-term health and career.

Fair enough and indeed officials said that a minor irregularity in his heartbeat had caused the problem.

However after the event the swimmer said he was "not really sure of the reasons behind it happening," suggesting there is reason for caution.

Swimming is one of the most demanding sports around so regardless of his jovial tone, Jamieson must now seek detailed answers into this episode for his own sake.