The Early History of Celtic FC

The rich and storied history of Celtic FC has led “The Bhoys” to become synonymous with both Scottish and British sport. Whenever the Scottish Premiership is mentioned, Celtic FC is sure to be the first club in mind.

Celtic FC Traditions span all the way back to 1887 with the first club meeting at St. Mary's Church Hall in Glasgow. Originally founded by Irish Marist Brother Alfred as a means of fundraising to counteract severe poverty issues within the immigrant Irish population in the East End of Glasgow, Celtic FC (pronounced Seltik) was founded upon the foundation of honoring both Irish and Scottish heritage.

Embed from Getty Images

Although founded in 1877, as the club’s badge indicates, the first professional match for the club wasn’t played in 1888 where the green and white won a friendly match against Rangers 5–2. Celtic quickly established itself as the powerhouse of Scottish football by lifting six successive Scottish Premiership titles in the first decade of the 1900s.

The original Celtic kit featured a plain white shirt with a green collar, black shorts, and emerald green socks. The original club crest was a simple green cross on a red oval background. It wasn’t until 1903 when Celtic FC adopted their infamous green and white hooped uniforms known all around the world. It was not until 1977 that Celtic finally adopted the club crest on their current kits, before sporting different emblems of four-leaf clover..

The Bhoys is the official nickname for Celtic FC. When the club was first established, publications originally coined "the bold boys" as the nickname taken off a postcard from the early 20th century. The added h is an ode to the Gaelic, where spelling commonly uses the letter b to accompany the letter h.

Explore Celtic FC At Universal Orlando

Celtic FC Traditions

Celtic FC plays their football at the famous Celtic Park in the Parkhead area of Glasgow. Celtic Park features a massive 60,411 capacity, making the stadium the largest in Scotland and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. Nicknamed Parkhead or Paradise, Celtic Park is known for its lively and intense atmosphere. It is widely regarded as one of the loudest stadiums in Europe, and the Celtic fans are considered the most passionate supporters in all of Britain and across Europe.

Embed from Getty Images

Celtic FC were the originators of the club newspaper in Britain in August of 1965 with The Celtic View. Founder Jack McGinn humbly began the clubs weekly publication featuring just four pages. The Celtic View set the standard for British football club journalism and inspired most big clubs to follow suit.

Celtic FC traditions cannot be properly discussed without the mention of their long-standing rivalry with Rangers. Known together as the “Old Firm”, Celtic FC vs. Rangers is still viewed as one of the world's biggest football derbies.

Celtic and Rangers have traditionally dominated Scottish football's history. 101 Scottish Premiership titles are shared between these two clubs since its birth in 1980, leaving just 19 championships for other teams in Scotland.

Celtic FC History | Club Success

49. That is the number of Scottish Premiership titles represented in Celtic FC traditions. Add 38 Scottish Cup victories and 17 Scottish League Cups to the Celtic trophy cabinet and you can get a proper measure of success for Scotland's most prestigious football association.

The most prominent distinction from Celtic FC History came after becoming the first British team to lift a European Championship trophy in 1967. With an incredible run under manager Jock Stein, Celtic FC is the first of just two clubs to conquer Europe with a side featuring completely home-grown talent. Every player on the roster for the 1967-68 season was born and raised within 30 miles of Celtic Park, their home stadium in Glasgow. Celtic also won the Scottish league championship, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup and the Glasgow Cup, making the “golden years” of 1967-68 their most successful campaign to date.

Embed from Getty Images

Celtic also lost in the final of the 1970 European Cup Final and the 2003 UEFA Cup Final. 80,000 Celtic fans were said to hit the streets of Seville during UEFA Cup Final in 2003. Celtic FC is undoubtedly still the most successful modern club in Scotland. The Bhoys claimed their seventh consecutive championship under Brendan Rodgers in the 2017/18 campaign.

Train Like The Pros With Certified Celtic FC Coaching Staff At Universal Orlando Resort™

Fuse Soccer is proud to partner with the historic and prestigious Celtic FC by introducing their rich tradition, expressive style of play and deep-rooted culture of success to soccer in America.