Celtic F.C.

2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports teams

Celtic F.C.
Celtic crest
Full name The Celtic Football Club
Nickname(s) 'Bhoys', 'Hoops', 'Tic'
Founded 1888
Ground Celtic Park
Glasgow, Scotland
( Capacity 60,832)
Chairman Flag of Scotland John Reid
Manager Flag of Scotland Gordon Strachan
League Scottish Premier League
2006-07 Scottish Premier League, 1st
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours

Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in Glasgow, which competes in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. The full name of the club is The Celtic Football Club. Until 1994, the club's full name was The Celtic Football and Athletic Company Ltd.

Celtic play home games at Celtic Park commonly referred to as Parkhead, which has a capacity of 60,832, and is currently the largest football stadium in Scotland. In 2006-07, Celtic Park attracted an average attendance of 57,927, making the club second after Manchester United in average attendance for any football club in the UK.

Together with their rivals, Rangers F.C., they form the Old Firm which is one of the most famous and fierce rivalries in sport. Celtic has traditionally been linked with its founding roots which stemmed from the Irish immigrant community in Glasgow.

In 1967, Celtic became the first British team to win the European Champions Cup, which had previously been the preserve of Italian, Portuguese and Spanish clubs. Celtic won every competition that they entered that season: the Scottish League, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, the European Cup and the Glasgow Cup.

Additionally, Celtic remain the only Scottish club ever to have reached the final, and are the only club ever to win the trophy with a team composed entirely of home-grown talent; as all of the players in the side were Scottish, and all were born within a 30-mile radius of Celtic Park. Celtic again reached the European Cup final in 1970, only to be beaten by Feyenoord in extra time. In 2003 Martin O'Neill led the team to the UEFA Cup final in Seville where they lost 3-2 to F.C. Porto after extra time. Around 114,000 Celtic supporters travelled to Seville for the final.

The club's traditional playing colours are green and white hooped shirts and white shorts with white socks. Celtic are one of the best-supported clubs in the world, with an estimated fanbase of approximately nine million.

Celtic won the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Cup in 2006-07 season.

Formation

Brother Walfrid
Brother Walfrid


Celtic Football Club was formally constituted at a meeting in St. Mary's Church hall on East Rose Street (now Forbes Street), Calton, Glasgow, by an Irish Marist brother named Brother Walfrid originally from Ballymote in County Sligo on 6 November 1887.

The charity established by Brother Walfrid was named The Poor Children's Dinner Table. Walfrid's move to establish the club as a means of fund raising was largely inspired by the example of Hibernian F.C. who were formed out of the immigrant Irish population thirteen years earlier in Edinburgh.

On 28 May 1888, Celtic played their first official match against Rangers and won 5-2 in what was described as a "friendly encounter". Celtic had 8 'guest' players from Hibernian playing that day.

History of Celtic F.C.

Celtic Football Club was formally constituted at a meeting in St. Mary's church hall in East Rose Street (now Forbes Street), Calton, Glasgow, by Marist Brother Walfrid on November 6, 1887, with the purpose stated in the official club records as "being to alleviate poverty in Glasgow's East End parishes".

Walfrid's move to establish the club as a means of fund-raising was largely inspired by the example of Hibernian F.C. who were formed out of the immigrant Irish population a few years earlier in Edinburgh. Walfrid's own suggestion of the name 'Celtic' (pronounced Seltik), was intended to reflect the club's Irish and Scottish roots, and was adopted at the same meeting.

The Old Firm and sectarianism

The term sectarian refers to a group who belongs to a religious and cultural sect, and display contempt, hatred or dislike of all others, not belonging to their sect.

Celtic have a historic association with the peoples of Ireland and Scots of Irish extraction, who are both predominantly Catholic. Supporters of rivals Rangers tended to sympathise with Protestantism and British Unionism. As a result both clubs became linked to the opposing factions in the political difficulties of Northern Ireland, which intensified the rivalry in Scotland.

In recent times both clubs have taken measures to combat sectarianism. Working alongside the Scottish Parliament, church groups and community organisations, the Old Firm has clamped down on sectarian songs, inflammatory flag-waving, and troublesome supporters, using increased levels of policing and surveillance. In 1996, for instance, Celtic launched their Bhoys Against Bigotry campaign, later followed by Youth Against Bigotry to "educate the young on having ... respect for all aspects of the community - all races, all colours, all creeds", according to then chief executive Ian McLeod. In October 2006, club chairman Brian Quinn dismissed calls to institute a list of what songs are unacceptable at Celtic Park and chief executive Peter Lawwell defended the singing of "Irish ballads" at matches. In previous years, a small minority of the Celtic travelling support regularly sang songs which included lyrics supporting the Irish Republican Army, however such songs have become a rare occurrence since the launch of said campaigns. The end of sectarian singing by Celtic supporters was sparked by Rangers receiving a UEFA fine for singing sectarian songs in 2006.

In November 2007, Jeanette Findlay, head of The Celtic Trust - an organisation made up of around 200 club shareholders and supporters, caused controversy by claiming that certain songs about IRA which were sung by a section of the Celtic support were not pro-terrorist. Findlay's remarks were widely criticised and described as "unrepresentative" by the club.


Recent seasons

2004-05

Following a close race for the SPL title, with Rangers closely following, the club extended their lead at the top of the SPL table to two points as they lined up for the final game of the season, with a win at Motherwell F.C. required to seal the title. With two minutes remaining on the clock, Celtic were leading 1 – 0 — a result which would have handed them the league.

However, Motherwell's Scott McDonald (now playing for Celtic) netted two last-minute goals. Rangers defeated Hibernian 1 – 0 at Easter Road, thereby winning the league championship title. Earlier in the season Celtic recorded a record seventh straight win over city rivals Rangers.

Celtic ended the season one week later with a 1–0 win over Dundee United F.C. in the Scottish Cup Final, which was marked by fans as Martin O'Neill's final match as manager.

On 25 May 2005, O'Neill announced he would resign as manager of Celtic at the end of 2004-05 season along with first team coach Steve Walford and assistant manager John Robertson. It was widely reported that O'Neill decided to take time out of football in order to care for his ailing wife Geraldine, who is ill with lymphoma. He is currently manager of Aston Villa F.C.

2005-06

Celtic Park.
Celtic Park.

Former Aberdeen F.C. player and Scotland international Gordon Strachan took charge of the club on 1 June 2005, on a 12-month rolling contract, similar to O'Neill's arrangement with the club; his contract effectively extending for one calendar year from any current date. Garry Pendrey was appointed as Strachan's assistant manager.

In his first competitive match, against Artmedia Bratislava on 27 July 2005, Celtic lost 5-0 in the first leg of an important Champions League 2nd Round qualifier, suffering the worst European defeat in the club's history and the widest margin of defeat since the 1963-64 season, when the club lost 6-0 to Kilmarnock F.C. at Rugby Park. In the second leg of the match against Artmedia Bratislava they won 4-0 but were eliminated from European competition on aggregate.

In Strachan's first domestic match of the 2005-06 SPL season, Celtic relinquished a 3-1 half-time lead over Motherwell at Fir Park on 30 July 2005, the game ending in a 4-4 draw after Celtic managed to equalise through a goal by Craig Beattie.

The nine goals against Celtic in Strachan's first two competitive matches is the biggest goal tally scored against the club in successive matches for 14 years.

However, following these setbacks, and a defeat against Rangers in the pair's first match of the season at Ibrox, Celtic recorded a series of victories, including beating Rangers twice, and returned to the top of the SPL - a vast improvement on their form at the start of the season.

Celtic knocked arch rivals Rangers out of the League cup on 19 November 2005. Celtic were knocked out of the Scottish Cup on 8 January 2006 by First Division side Clyde F.C.

Celtic beat Rangers again on 12 February to make it 17 wins from the previous 21 Old Firm games. Celtic won the CIS Cup, with a 3-0 win over Dunfermline Athletic on 19 March. They created a new scoring record for the SPL, an 8-1 victory against Dunfermline in February 2006, where Maciej Żurawski scored 4 goals and assisted in 2 others.

On 5 April 2006 Celtic clinched their 40th title thanks to a goal from John Hartson in a 1-0 win against Hearts at Celtic Park. The title was Celtic's fourth title in six years. This feat was achieved with six games remaining until the end of the season and before the SPL split. The Bhoys lifted the SPL trophy on Easter Sunday 2006 at home to Hibernian, after a 1-1 draw.

In April 2006, Celtic's reserve and Under-19 teams also won their championships, completing a clean sweep of Scotland's league competitions. Celtic's reserve team have now won their league 5 years in a row and the Under-19 have won their league 4 years in a row.

2006-07

Such was the good form of Celtic and the lack of a clear rival in the early stages of the 2006/07 season, that bookmakers Paddy Power took the unprecedented step of paying out on Celtic as the winners of the SPL on November 4, 2006, only 13 games into the season. By mid-November Celtic were 15 points clear of their nearest challengers.

On November 21, Celtic defeated Manchester United 1-0 at home earning them qualification to the knockout stage of the last 16 teams for the first time since the format was altered in 1993, drawing AC Milan. After both legs of the tie ended 0-0, Celtic's Champions League run was ended by a solitary Milan goal in extra-time by Kaka.

During the January 2007 transfer window Celtic signed Scotland internationals and former Hearts players Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley, full-back Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé from Rennes on loan and goalkeeper Mark Brown from Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

On April 22, 2007 Celtic won their 41st league championship, and second in a row. The title was won by an injury-time free-kick from Shunsuke Nakamura in a 2-1 victory against Kilmarnock. The result left Celtic 13 points clear of Rangers with four matches remaining. They then finished the season 12 points above Rangers.

On 26 May 2007 Celtic won the Scottish Cup for a record 34th time after beating Dunfermline 1-0. The winner was scored by Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé in the 84th minute.

2007-08

Celtic bolstered their side for the 2007-08 season, signing Scott Brown, Chris Killen, Scott McDonald and Massimo Donati. Neil Lennon left for Nottingham Forest after seven years with the club, with Stephen McManus taking over the club captaincy.

The club was drawn against Russian side Spartak Moscow in the third round of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League 2007-08. The tie ended in a penalty shootout, with Artur Boruc saving twice to ensure Celtic's passage to the next round. This was Celtic's first European penalty shootout victory. They competed against A.C. Milan, S.L. Benfica and FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stages, going unbeaten at home but losing all their away matches. They finished second in their group, ensuring qualification to the knockout stage for the second year in successions, where they drew FC Barcelona. The club's first signing of the winter transfer window was Andreas Hinkel. They followed up with signing Japanese youngster Koki Mizuno as well as Greek international striker Georgios Samaras. Celtic again strengthened their squad with the double signing of Barry Robson from Dundee Utd as well as young striker Ben Hutchinson from Middlesbrough F.C.

Records

  • The Scottish Cup final win against Aberdeen F.C. in 1937 was attended by a crowd of 146,433 at Hampden Park in Glasgow, which remains a record for a club match in European football.
  • Celtic currently hold the UK record for an unbeaten run in professional football: 62 games (49 won, 13 drawn), from 13 November 1915 until 21 April 1917- a total of 17 months and four days in all (they lost at home to Kilmarnock F.C. on the last day of the season).
  • Celtic also hold the SPL record for an unbeaten run of home matches (77), spanning from 2001 to 2004 (this run was ended by a 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen on 21 April 2004), and the record for the longest run of consecutive wins in a single season (25 matches).
  • Record victory: 11-0, against Dundee in 1895.
  • Record defeat: 0-8 against Motherwell in 1937.
  • Record home defeat: 0-8 against Dumbarton F.C. in 1892.
  • Record post war home defeat 1-5 Aberdeen 1948.
  • Record European victory 9-0 KPV Kokkola (Finland), 1970.
  • Record European defeat: 0-5 against FC Artmedia Bratislava on 27 July 2005.
  • Record victory against Rangers: 7-1 1957 Scottish league cup final.
  • Complete record v Rangers P371 W133 D91 L147 F508 A529
  • Record points earned in a season: 72 (Premier Division, 1987/88, 2 points for a win); 103 (Scottish Premier League, 2001/02, 3 points for a win), also the SPL points tally record.
  • Record home attendance: 92,000 against Rangers in 1938. A 3-0 victory for Celtic.
  • Most capped player: 102, Kenny Dalglish: Scotland.
  • Record appearances: Billy McNeill, 790 from 1957 - 1975.
  • Most goals in a season: Henrik Larsson, 53.
  • Record scorer: Jimmy McGrory, 468 (plus 13 whilst on loan at Clydebank).
  • First British club to reach the final of the European Cup.
  • First Scottish, British and northern European team to win the European Cup.
  • Only club in history to have won the European Cup with a team comprised entirely of home-grown players.
  • Hold the record for the highest score in a domestic cup final: Celtic 7 - 1 Rangers, Scottish League Cup Final 1957
  • Hold the record for the highest attendance for a European club competition match: Celtic v Leeds United in the European Cup semi-final 1970 at Hampden Park, Glasgow. Official attendance 136,505.
  • Fastest hat-trick in European Club Football - Mark Burchill vs Jeunesse Esch, Luxembourg in 2000.
  • Earliest SPL Championship won. Won with 6 games to go against Kilmarnock on 18 April 2004 and Hearts on 5 April 2006.
  • First weekly club publication in the UK, The Celtic View.
  • Biggest margin of victory in the SPL. 8-1 against Dunfermline, February 2006.
  • First stadium in the UK to stage motorcycle speedway racing on 28 April 1928.
  • Celtic and Hibernian hold the record for the biggest transfer fee between two Scottish clubs. Celtic bought Scott Brown from Hibernian on 16 May 2007 for £4.4m.

Major honours

Trophy case at Celtic Park
Trophy case at Celtic Park
  • European Cup: 1
1966-67
  • Scottish Premier League: 41
1893, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1922, 1926, 1936, 1938, 1954, *1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974*, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007

*Set a then world record of nine championships in a row. This now Scottish record was equalled by Rangers in 1997.

  • Scottish Cup: 34 (record)
1892, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1931, 1933, 1937, 1951, 1954, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1995, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007
  • Scottish League Cup: 13
1957, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1983, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006

Minor honours

  • Intercontinental Cup runners-up: 1
1967
  • European Cup runners-up: 1
1969-70
  • UEFA Cup runners-up: 1
2002-03
  • Under 18 Scottish Premier League: 2
2000, 2003
  • Under 19 Scottish Premier League: 3
2004, 2005, 2006
  • Under 21 Scottish Premier League: 3
2002, 2003, 2004
  • Reserve Scottish Premier League: 3
2005, 2006, 2007
  • Scottish Youth Cup: 9
1984, 1987, 1989, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006
  • Coronation Cup: 1
1953
  • Glasgow Cup: 28
1891, 1892, 1895, 1896, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1939, 1941, 1949, 1956, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1975*, 1982

* 1975 trophy shared with Rangers after a 2-2 draw todd whyte created it

Individual

All players are from Scotland unless otherwise stated.
Top Goalscorers
# Name Career Goals
1 James McGrory 1922-1937 472
2 Bobby Lennox 1961-1978
1979-1980
273
3 Henrik Larsson 1997-2004 242
4 Stevie Chalmers 1958-1971 231
5 Jimmy Quinn 1900-1917 217
6 Patsy Gallacher 1911-1926 192
7 John Hughes 1960-1971 189
8 Sandy McMahon 1891-1903 171
9 Jimmy McMenemy 1902-1920 168
10 Kenny Dalglish 1969-1977 167
Most Appearances
# Name Career Apps
1 Billy McNeill 1957-1975 790
2 Paul McStay 1981-1997 678
3 Roy Aitken 1976-1990 669
4 Danny McGrain 1970-1987 661
5 Pat Bonner 1978-1995 642
6 Bobby Lennox 1961-1978
1979-1980
587
7 Bobby Evans 1944-1960 548
8 Jimmy Johnstone 1962-1975 515
9 Jimmy McMenemy 1902-1920 515
10 Tommy Burns 1975-1989 504

Managers

All managers from Scotland unless otherwise stated.
Name Scottish League Scottish Cup Scottish League Cup European Cup Total
Maley, Willie Willie Maley 16 14 - - 30
McStay, Jimmy Jimmy McStay 0 0 - - 0
McGrory, Jimmy Jimmy McGrory 1 2 2 - 5
Stein, Jock Jock Stein 10 9 6 1 26
McNeill, Billy Billy McNeill 4 3 1 0 8
Hay, David David Hay 1 1 0 0 2
Brady, Liam Liam Brady 0 0 0 0 0
Macari, Lou Lou Macari 0 0 0 0 0
Burns, Tommy Tommy Burns 0 1 0 0 1
Jansen, Wim Wim Jansen 1 0 1 0 2
Vengloš, Jozef Jozef Vengloš 0 0 0 0 0
Barnes, John John Barnes 0 0 0 0 0
Dalglish, Kenny Kenny Dalglish 0 0 1 0 1
O'Neill, Martin Martin O'Neill 3 3 1 0 7
Strachan, Gordon Gordon Strachan 2 1 1 0 4

Players

As of 31 January 2008.

Current squad

No. Position Player
1 Flag of Poland GK Artur Boruc
2 Flag of Germany DF Andreas Hinkel
3 Flag of England DF Lee Naylor
5 Flag of Scotland DF Gary Caldwell ( vice-captain)
6 Flag of Guinea DF Bobo Baldé
8 Flag of Scotland MF Scott Brown
9 Flag of Greece FW Georgios Samaras (on loan from Man City)
10 Flag of the Netherlands FW Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink ( vice-captain)
11 Flag of Scotland MF Paul Hartley
12 Flag of Scotland DF Mark Wilson
14 Flag of Scotland FW Derek Riordan
15 Flag of the Netherlands MF Evander Sno
17 Flag of Scotland DF Steven Pressley ( vice-captain)
18 Flag of Italy MF Massimo Donati
19 Flag of Scotland MF Barry Robson
No. Position Player
20 Flag of England FW Ben Hutchinson
21 Flag of Scotland GK Mark Brown
24 Flag of Cameroon DF Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé
25 Flag of Japan MF Shunsuke Nakamura
27 Flag of Australia FW Scott McDonald
29 Flag of Japan MF Koki Mizuno
33 Flag of New Zealand FW Chris Killen
41 Flag of Scotland DF John Kennedy
44 Flag of Scotland DF Stephen McManus ( captain)
46 Flag of Ireland MF Aiden McGeady
47 Flag of Northern Ireland GK Michael McGovern
48 Flag of Ireland DF Darren O'Dea
49 Flag of Scotland DF Scott Cuthbert
52 Flag of Scotland DF Paul Caddis
53 Flag of Scotland MF Simon Ferry (Reserve)


Out on loan

No. Position Player
4 Flag of Scotland DF Adam Virgo (on loan to Colchester United)
16 Flag of Denmark MF Thomas Gravesen (on loan to Everton)
45 Flag of Ireland MF James O'Brien (on loan to Dundee Utd)
No. Position Player
Flag of Scotland GK Scott Fox (on loan to Ayr United)
Flag of Iceland FW Kjartan Finnbogason (on loan to Åtvidabergs FF)

2007-08 transfers

Reserve & youth squad

No. Position Player
26 Flag of Ireland FW Cillian Sheridan (Reserve)
38 Flag of Scotland MF Rocco Quinn (Reserve)
43 Flag of Ireland FW Diarmuid O'Carroll (Reserve)
45 Flag of Ireland MF James O'Brien (Reserve)
50 Flag of Italy MF Luca Santonocito (Youth)
51 Flag of Scotland FW Nicky Riley (Reserve)
52 Flag of Scotland DF Paul Caddis (Reserve)
54 Flag of Scotland MF Ryan Conroy (Reserve)
55 Flag of Scotland FW Paul McGowan (Reserve)
No. Position Player
TBA Flag of Ireland GK Paul Skinner (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland DF Jason Marr (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Ireland DF Laurence Gaughan (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Northern Ireland DF Daniel Lafferty (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland DF Kevin Ross (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Northern Ireland FW Declan Bunting (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland MF Charles Grant (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland MF Sean Anderson (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Ireland MF Paul Cahillane (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Ireland MF Graham Carey (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland MF Ross Hepburn (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland FW Mark Millar (Reserve)
TBA Flag of Scotland FW John W. Kelly (Reserve)

Non-playing staff

Boardroom

Position Name
Chairman John Reid
Chief Executive Peter Lawwell
Director of Finance Eric J. Riley
Non-Executive Director Dermot Desmond
Non-Executive Director Eric Hagman
Non-Executive Director Thomas E. Allison
Non-Executive Director Brian McBride
Non-Executive Director Brian Wilson
Commercial Director David Thomson

Management

Position Name
Manager Gordon Strachan
Assistant Manager Garry Pendrey
First Team Coach & Head of Youth Development Tommy Burns
Reserve Team Coach Willie McStay
Reserve Assistant Team Coach Danny McGrain
Youth Team Coach John McLaughlan
Under 17's Coach Joe McBride
Goalkeeping Coach Jim Blyth
Goalkeeping Coach Stevie Woods
Club Doctor Derek McCormack
Head of Sports Science Gregory Dupont
Physiotherapist Tim Williamson
Physiotherapist Gavin McCarthy
Kit Controller John Clark
Football Development Manager John Park
Chief Scout Ray Clarke
Scout Tom O'Neil

Sponsors

  • Carling
  • NTL Ireland
  • T-Mobile
  • Nike, Inc.
  • Thomas Cook
  • Phoenix Motorcars
  • MBNA
  • The Big Plus
  • Sanyo
  • Scottish Leader (whisky)
  • Soccer Savings
  • Celtic Village

Notable former players

Greatest ever team

SIMPSON
McNEILL
MURDOCH
GEMMELL
McGRAIN
JOHNSTONE
AULD
McSTAY
LARSSON
DALGLISH
LENNOX
Greatest ever Celtic team

The following team was voted the greatest ever Celtic team by supporters in 2002.

  • Flag of Scotland Ronnie Simpson
  • Flag of Scotland Danny McGrain
  • Flag of Scotland Tommy Gemmell
  • Flag of Scotland Bobby Murdoch
  • Flag of Scotland Paul McStay
  • Flag of Scotland Billy McNeill - Voted Celtic's greatest ever Captain
  • Flag of Scotland Bertie Auld
  • Flag of Scotland Jimmy Johnstone - Voted Celtic's greatest ever player
  • Flag of Scotland Bobby Lennox
  • Flag of Scotland Kenny Dalglish
  • Flag of Sweden Henrik Larsson - Voted Celtic's greatest ever foreign player

Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_F.C."
The 2008 Wikipedia for Schools is sponsored by SOS Children , and is a hand-chosen selection of article versions from the English Wikipedia edited only by deletion (see www.wikipedia.org for details of authors and sources). The articles are available under the GNU Free Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.