A Brief History

Celtic Football Club was established in the late nineteenth century 1888 by a Marist Brother known as Brother Walfrid Kerins ,principally as a means of using the game of football to raise money to provide food for the Irish Immigrant poor in the East End of Glasgow. Celtic's first game was played on 28th May 1888 against Rangers with Celtic winning 5-2. In their first season, Celtic won it's first trophy - the North Eastern Football Association Cup. In 1892 Celtic Football Club moved to it's current ground, Celtic Park, situated in Parkhead, Glasgow, which became known as "Paradise" to it's supporters due to it's proximity to the local cemetery.

Over the next 50 years, Celtic rose to a level of supremacy winning numerous cup victories and league titles in Scotland. In 1937 they were victorious in the Scottish Cup in front of 147,000 spectators and, in the following year, marked their Golden Jubilee by winning the League Championship as well as the Empire Exhibition Trophy. Celtic had some success in the 1950s including victory in the Coronation Cup in 1953 beating Hibs 2-0 in the final although these years were frustrating and lean in comparison.

It was in the period 1965 to 1974, however, under the management of a former player, Jock Stein, that Celtic achieved the reputation of being one of the premier European clubs. Billy McNeill stated that one of his biggest thrills was parading the cup in 1965 in the open top bus in the Gorbals when the streets were lined deep. In that period, fielding some of the UK's best known players of their time including McNeill, Dalglish, Johnstone and McGrain, Celtic won the League Championship for nine successive seasons and more notably, the European Cup in 1967. Celtic were finalists in the European Cup again in 1970 losing to Feyenoord, having beaten Leeds Utd in the semi-finals at Hampden Park in front of 133,000 spectators, a European Cup attendance record that's never to be beaten.

Glasgow Celtic European Cup Winners

"The Big Man" - Manager Jock Stein who masterminded Celtic's glorious season 1966-67.

Celtic's stirring victory over Inter Milan in the European Cup Final was a triumph for attacking football over an ultra-defensive Italian style that at the time was threatening to suffocate the game on the Continent. Jock Stein, a former Celtic captain had worked wonders in the two years since he had taken charge at Celtic Park. First he had transformed the ailing club into the best in Scotland, at a time when Scottish teams were regularly competing at the highest level in Europe. Then he turned Celtic into the 'Kings of Europe'

No British side had even reached the Final of the European Cup 25 May 1967, but Celtic went into the match brimming with confidence, having cleaned up in the League, Scottish Cup and League Cup - their first domestic 'treble'.

Now they went for the "Grand Slam". Around 15,000 Celtic fans travelled to Portugal to give the 'Bhoys' vociferous support, but they were silenced -briefly- in the eighth minute when Mazzola converted a penalty after a foul by Jim Craig.

That was the signal for Inter to retreat into their shell, and for the rest of the game it was Celtic's attack against the formidable Italian defence. The unique Jimmy Johnstone (Jinky to the fans) gave the Inter defender Burgnich a torrid time as Bobby Murdoch stamped his authority majestically over the midfield. Celtic's greatest threat came from the overlapping fullbacks (long before the term 'wingbacks had been invented) Jim Craig and particularly Tommy Gemmell on the left. With Sarti performing heroics in the Inter goal, and Auld and Gemmell both hitting the bar, it was well into the second half before Celtic broke the Italians down. A stunning 25-yard strike by Gemmell levelled the match. Six minutes from time the match, and of course, the trophy was won. A strike from the edge of the box by Murdoch looked to be covered by Sarti, but Steve Chalmers deflected the ball past the Inter 'keeper for the winner. Celtic became the first British team to hold aloft the most sought after prize in club soccer.

That was Celtic's 200th goal of the season in only 64 games. They won every competition that they entered that most memorable of seasons