IT was nights like Wednesday’s Champions League Celtic v Barcelona game that remind me just how much I love football.

As a young fan, player and now football pundit, it has always amazed me at the passion, intensity and sheer emotion that can be created around 22 people running around a football field.

Upsets happen, they always have and always will, but the David v Goliath scenario just gets the juices flowing like no other.

Celtic Park was buzzing, Rod Stewart was crying and Scottish football got some pride back after the turmoil during the implosion of the summer. Simply brilliant!

I’ve played in loads of games when my team hasn’t been given a chance and, as players, you know if you play your opponents 10 times you’ll lose on nine occasions, but on that one time when all the stars are lined up and fate is on your side it can just happen.

As a player at Town I don’t remember too many giant killings, but beating Leeds United, which we did regularly, always went down well with the home fans.

And talking of giant-killing, the FA Cup kicked off last week and my local team Harrogate Town had their own major upset with a win at League II Torquay. A home tie now follows against Hastings.

You just can’t beat the FA Cup for seeing the little team triumph.

As neutrals, watching the underdog defy the odds, no matter what the sport, we get an inner glow of satisfaction.

Why that is, I’ve no idea, but it’s there.

The Ryder Cup, the Olympics, Murray at the US Open, they all have got the blood flowing to the extent we have been transported to the event via our TV.

Thank goodness for live sport!

JORDAN RHODES was always going to score against Town.

These things just seem to happen, they always do.

But the talking point of the game seems to have been the Blackburn penalty.

I’ve now seen it three times on television, slowed down, and sorry, yes, it was a penalty in my opinion.

The attacker, who was Markus Olsson, got there first before the Town defender, Joel Lynch, slides through him and then takes the ball.

You simply can’t tackle like that in the modern game, because referees are looking for it all the time and are going to punish you.

At least Town got a point to make if four from the last six and are still well placed.