WHAT a year 2018 has been for sport in Scotland and beyond. There have been some high-profile arrivals: Steven Gerrard joined Rangers, Jim McIntyre joined Dundee and Alan Stubbs joined St Mirren … and shortly after the dole queue.

But what can we expect in 2019? We’ve dug out our crystal ball, given it a good rub and peeked inside to see what will unfold in the year ahead for the great, the good and the distinctly average of the sporting world.

CELTIC continue to dominate the Scottish domestic landscape although once again fail to land the much coveted Irn-Bru Cup. That trophy, instead, is accidentally won by a group of bricklayers from a building site in Dagenham who entered the tournament by mistake while on a stag-do in Glasgow.

Their beaten opponents in the final, a Brownie pack from Llandudno, are consoled by the new badge they have earned for their uniform, and by the fact they were able to beat a full-strength Dundee United in the semi-final.

Celtic do, however, manage to win the league for an eighth season in a row after Kilmarnock’s challenge fades away once Steve Clarke leaves to become the next Manchester United manager. Upon his unveiling at Old Trafford, Clarke admits he is looking forward to the challenge but is a bit annoyed at having to leave a game of Scrabble halfway through to come down to sign the paperwork.

“I set myself high standards,” he fumes. “And I still had a Q and a Z left on my rack.”

Clarke signs Kris Boyd who uses his first press conference to slag off Manchester City and the unrest in their dressing room. City win the league again by 20 points.

Light of options in attack, Brendan Rodgers bolsters his squad in the January window with the surprise signing of 39-year-old Kenny Miller from Dundee.

“It’s a proud moment and one to tell the grandkids,” he says, getting his phone out of his pocket and sending them all a text. Rodgers thanks Peter Lawwell for breaking the bank to make the signing happen – before flicking the Vs at the chief executive behind his back.

Miller’s goals help Celtic to the title, prompting a raft of speculation about the manager’s future.

“I can see Brendan Rodgers moving on now to one of the top clubs, maybe Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich,” says Brendan Rodgers, fooling no-one with the false glasses, nose and beard.

Scott Brown leaves Celtic and moves to Australia, mostly to improve his chances of appearing on the next series of I’m A Celebrity. Getting in some early practice, he is found slumped on the pavement of a Melbourne street munching on a snake’s eyeball kebab.

Brown leaves on a disappointing note as Celtic lose the Scottish Cup final to Rangers. Alfredo Morelos returns from a 20-game suspension to start at Hampden but is sent off before half time for two bookings, one for excessive pouting and the other for stomping his feet.

Rangers, though, eventually prevail after Willie Collum awards them a dubious last-minute penalty.

“We always knew he was a terrific referee,” say Rangers later in a very long statement. Kenny Macintyre temporarily disrupts his celebrations to host an impromptu BBC Sportsound radio show on crisis club Celtic.

The final was also notable for the first use of VAR in Scottish football, although Collum was unable to refer the penalty claim as the screen had been smashed before kick-off by a group of Rangers fans who hadn’t got tickets. Or maybe Chelsea fans.

The trial of VAR isn’t continued after the Scottish FA and SPFL’s joint initiative – Look Down The Back Of The Sofa For Loose Change – fails to turn up enough money, although Celtic do at least find those flight tickets to Japan that they lost back in 2008.

Miller’s decision to join Celtic sees Dundee relegated after Hamilton, somehow, win all their games after the split to overturn a 14-point deficit to once more save their skin. Miracle-seekers cancel all flights to Lourdes and start camping outside Martin Canning’s office instead.

St Mirren also survive after taking the bold season to appoint Jose Mourinho – their 10th manager of the season – for the play-off final against Dundee United.

The Tannadice club win the first leg 3-0 and are four goals up in the return game when they inexplicably collapse and lose eight goals in the last five minutes. Their American owner announces plans to merge with Dundee and move the new franchise to Disneyland believing they will fit in better alongside other Mickey Mouse outfits.

In the summer, the Scottish women’s team delights a nation by making it all the way to the World Cup final in France. They are then promptly disqualified on the grounds that, with this sort of success, they can’t possibly be Scottish.

And in boxing, Josh Taylor realises his dream by becoming super-lightweight world champion.

He then blows his entire purse by taking everyone in the city out for a pint. Cheers!