Celtic’s club history is one of the grandest in world football, particularly given they are one of the most successful on the planet. The Bhoys have enjoyed incredible success on both the domestic and European stages since their formation in 1887.
Irish Marist Brother Walfrid led the initiative to address poverty among the Irish population in Glasgow’s East End and Celtic Football Club was founded as a result.
Club name
Celtic took on their name from the club’s formation to represent the common roots of the Scots and Irish. They also took the word’s heritage from 17th-century France when pronounced with a soft ‘c’ for Seltic. While the ‘h’ in their nickname The Bhoys is for the phonetical Irish enunciation.
Celtic badge
The Glasgow club designed a badge to demonstrate the pride Celtic have in their history and the cultural connections between Scotland and Ireland. Originally, the Bhoys adopted a crest using a green Celtic cross on a red oval. The design also remained in place until the 1970s.
Celtic later adopted the first iteration of their current badge in 1977 with a four-leaf clover at the core. Its design originated in the 1930s but it became commonplace on their kits four decades later. The design also included ‘The Celtic Football Club’ and the year of their formation.
Green and white have remained the colours of Celtic’s badge ever since to convey two colours of the Irish flag. While the club introduced a 100th-anniversary design in 1988 that reintroduced the Celtic cross. The four-leaf clover remained on the crest but was at the base of the circle.
A modernisation of Celtic’s badge in 1994 saw the four-leaf clover return to the centre in place of the Celtic cross. While the club adapted its design again during 2007 by adding one gold star to mark the 40th anniversary of their European Cup title when Celtic beat Inter Milan in Lisbon.
Kit history
Green and white have been the colours of Celtic’s kit throughout their history to represent the Irish flag. But the hooped design that the club made famous did not come into existence before 1895. Instead, they started off by using a plain white shirt before later adopting striped jerseys.
Celtic have also exclusively used white shorts since 1898 after ditching their black shorts. While the club have often changed the colour and design of the socks throughout the years. The club have used black, green and white as the primary colours of their socks in various combinations.
League history
Celtic have played in the top-flight of Scottish football throughout the club’s entire history. The Bhoys first played league football in 1890/91 season as a founding member of the Scottish Football League. They were later a founding team of the Premier Division in 1975.
Scottish football then witnessed the formation of a breakaway league in 1998 with Celtic one of the first in the Premier League. It was dissolved in 2013 after the SPL and SFL agreed to merge and create the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic have won the Scottish top-flight title 55 times, their first in 1892/93 and their most recent during the 2024/25 campaign. The Hoops lifted 29 Division One titles, seven Premier Division titles, eight Premier League titles and have won 11 Premiership honours so far.
Celtic trophies
Celtic’s trophy history features a number of cup titles alongside their 55 top-flight crowns. The Glasgow giants have won the Scottish Cup a record 42 times with a first crown in 1891/92. While they have lifted the Scottish League Cup 22 times and the European Cup once.
Celtic have won the domestic Treble – consisting of the Scottish top flight title, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup – eight times, which is a world record.
The Bhoys were also the first of nine clubs to win a continental Treble in 1966/67. They are also the only team in world football history to have won the Quadruple, which is the European Cup, Scottish top-flight, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup in a single season.
Players and managers
Celtic’s illustrious history as Scottish football’s most successful team and also as a trailblazing club in Europe has ensured legends grace Celtic Park. From Pat Bonner between the posts to Paul McStay in the middle and Jimmy Johnstone in attack, the club has had a host of icons.
Billy McNeill is Celtic’s record appearance maker having played an astonishing 822 matches between 1957 and 1975 with the Bhoys. While Jimmy McGrory holds the record as Celtic’s all-time top scorer with 468 goals in 445 games in all competitions. Bobby Lennox sits second in the chart with 277 in 586.
James Forrest is Celtic’s most decorated player ever with a haul of 26 major trophies, one more than Lennox who won 25. Current captain Callum McGregor isn’t far behind on 24.
Jock Stein also secured his place as a Celtic legend by returning as the manager following 148 games in green and white as a player. He went on to become the greatest manager in Celtic’s history having overseen 717 games and lifting an astounding 25 trophies.
But Willie Maley is actually the most successful Celtic manager of all-time having won a record 30 trophies, 16 of those league titles and 14 Scottish Cup triumphs.
