60 Facts About Glasgow Celtic

Glasgow Celtic established themselves within Scottish football, winning six successive league titles during the first decade of the 20th century.

Glasgow Celtic have played in green and white throughout their history, adopting hoops in 1903, which have been used ever since.

Glasgow Celtic are one of only five clubs in the world to have won over 100 trophies in their history.

Glasgow Celtic reached the 1970 European Cup Final and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final, losing in both.

Glasgow Celtic have a long-standing fierce rivalry with Rangers, and the clubs are known as the Old Firm, seen by some as the world's biggest football derby.

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Celtic Football Club was formally constituted at a meeting in St Mary's church hall in East Rose Street, Calton, Glasgow, by Irish Marist Brother Walfrid on 6 November 1887, with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the East End of Glasgow by raising money for the charity Walfrid had instituted, the Poor Children's Dinner Table.

Walfrid's own suggestion of the name Glasgow Celtic was intended to reflect the club's Irish and Scottish roots and was adopted at the same meeting.

Between 1905 and 1910, Glasgow Celtic won the Scottish League Championship six times in a row.

Glasgow Celtic was 71 years old and had served the club in varying roles for nearly 52 years, initially as a player and then as secretary-manager.

Glasgow Celtic spent over five years in this role, although due to the Second World War no official competitive league football took place during this time.

Glasgow Celtic did not do particularly well during the war years, but did win the Victory in Europe Cup held in May 1945 as a one-off football match to celebrate Victory in Europe Day.

Under McGrory, Glasgow Celtic defeated Arsenal, Manchester United and Hibernian to win the Coronation Cup, a one-off tournament held in May 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Glasgow Celtic won the Scottish Cup in his first few months at the club, and then led them to the League title the following season.

The following season Glasgow Celtic lost to Racing Club of Argentina in the Intercontinental Cup.

In 1998 Glasgow Celtic won the title again under Dutchman Wim Jansen and prevented Rangers from beating their nine-in-a-row record.

Under his leadership, Glasgow Celtic won three SPL championships out of five and in his first season in charge the club won the domestic treble, making O'Neill only the second Glasgow Celtic manager to do so after Jock Stein.

In 2003, around 80,000 Glasgow Celtic fans travelled to watch the club compete in the UEFA Cup Final in Seville.

The conduct of the thousands of travelling Glasgow Celtic supporters received widespread praise from the people of Seville and the fans were awarded Fair Play Awards from both FIFA and UEFA "for their extraordinarily loyal and sporting behaviour".

Glasgow Celtic celebrated their 125th anniversary in November 2012, the same week as a Champions League match against Barcelona.

Glasgow Celtic finished the season with the SPL and Scottish Cup double.

Glasgow Celtic went on to lead the team to two consecutive league titles and a League Cup, but the team's performances in European competition were poor.

Glasgow Celtic clinched their sixth successive league title in April 2017 with a record eight league games to spare, and eventually finished with a record 106 points, becoming the first Scottish side to complete a top-flight league season undefeated since Rangers in 1899.

Glasgow Celtic continued their unbeaten domestic run into the following season, eventually extending it to 69 games, surpassing their own 100-year-old British record of 62 games, before finally losing to Hearts in November 2017.

Glasgow Celtic retained the League Cup that same month by defeating Motherwell in the final, and went on to clinch their seventh consecutive league title in April 2018.

In 1903, Glasgow Celtic adopted their now famous green and white hooped tops.

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Glasgow Celtic responded by adding numbers to the top of their sleeves, however within a few weeks the football authorities ordered the club to attach them to the back of their shirts, where they appeared on a large white patch, breaking up the green and white hoops.

In 1984 Glasgow Celtic took up shirt sponsorship for the first time, with Fife-based double glazing firm CR Smith having their logo emblazoned on the front of the team jersey.

In March 2020, Glasgow Celtic announced a new five-year partnership with Adidas starting on 1 July 2020, in a deal believed to be the biggest kit sponsorship ever in Scottish sport.

Glasgow Celtic opened the original Glasgow Celtic Park in the Parkhead area in 1888.

Glasgow Celtic was in a bad financial position in the early 1990s and no major work was carried out until Fergus McCann took control of the club in March 1994.

Glasgow Celtic carried out a plan to demolish the old terraces and develop a new stadium in a phased rebuild, which was completed in August 1998.

Glasgow Celtic Park has been used as a venue for Scotland internationals and Cup Finals, particularly when Hampden Park has been unavailable.

In more recent years, Glasgow Celtic Park has hosted the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2005 Special Olympics National Games and the 1990 Special Olympics European Games.

Glasgow Celtic Park has occasionally been used for concerts, including performances by The Who and U2.

In July 2016, Glasgow Celtic Park became the first British football stadium to have a "rail seating" area in the ground.

In 2003 Glasgow Celtic were estimated to have a fan base of nine million people, including one million in the US and Canada.

Glasgow Celtic has the highest average home attendance of any Scottish club.

Glasgow Celtic fans were placed third, the only club in Britain on the list, with the magazine highlighting their rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone before the start of European ties at Glasgow Celtic Park.

On 23 October 2017, Glasgow Celtic fans were awarded with the FIFA Fan Award for their tifo commemorating the 50th anniversary of the club's European cup win.

Glasgow Celtic have a historic association with the people of Ireland and Scots of Irish descent, both of whom are mainly Roman Catholic.

Admissions to hospital emergency rooms have been reported to increase ninefold over normal levels and in the period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow Celtic were directly linked to Old Firm matches, and hundreds of assaults.

Some groups of Glasgow Celtic fans have expressed their support for Irish republicanism and the Irish Republican Army by singing or chanting about them at matches.

Glasgow Celtic expressed disapproval of these protests, saying they were damaging to the image of the club and its fans, and pledged to ban those involved.

In 1965, Glasgow Celtic began publishing its own newspaper, The Glasgow Celtic View, now the oldest club magazine in football.

However, in August 2021, Glasgow Celtic announced the restart of the production activities for the magazine, which was turned into a 100-page, quarterly publication.

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In 2004, Glasgow Celtic launched their own digital TV channel called Glasgow Celtic TV, which was available in the UK through Setanta Sports on satellite and cable platforms.

In 2011, Glasgow Celtic TV was relaunched as an online service and replaced Channel 67.

The Charity Fund has since then merged with the Glasgow Celtic Foundation, forming the Glasgow Celtic FC Foundation, and continues to raise money for local, national and international causes.

On 9 August 2011 Glasgow Celtic held a testimonial match in honour of former player John Kennedy.

Yorkhill Hospital is another charity with whom Glasgow Celtic are affiliated and in December 2011 the club donated £3000 to it.

Glasgow Celtic were formed in 1887, and in 1897 the club became a Private Limited Company with a nominal share capital of 5000 shares at £1 each.

Glasgow Celtic declined this offer and decided to stay in football management, joining Leeds United instead.

Glasgow Celtic left the club in June 1983 after his request for a contract and pay rise was publicly rebuffed by the board.

Glasgow Celtic was given a seat on the board and became Chairman in 1986.

McCann had wanted the ownership of Glasgow Celtic to be spread as widely as possible and gave first preference to existing shareholders and season-ticket holders, to prevent a new consortium taking over the club.

The share issue was a success and Glasgow Celtic had more applicants than shares available, The new Lennoxtown training centre was opened in October 2007.

Glasgow Celtic have been ranked in the Deloitte Football Money League six times.

In May 2012, Glasgow Celtic were rated 37th in Brand Finance's annual valuation of the world's biggest football clubs.

Matt Hannagan, Sports Brand Valuation Analyst at Brand Finance, said that Glasgow Celtic were constrained by the amount of money they got from the SPL and that if they were in the Premiership then, due to their large fan base, they could be in the top 10 clubs in the world.

Glasgow Celtic have a pathway for female players, from eleven years old upwards.