List of Celtic F.C. seasons
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish professional association football club based in Parkhead, Glasgow. The club was founded in 1887 and played their first match in May 1888, a friendly match against Rangers.[1] The club played their first competitive match in September 1888, when they entered the first round of the 1888–89 Scottish Cup, and were founding members of the Scottish Football League in 1890 from which they have remained in the top tier of ever since.[2] Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 51 occasions, the Scottish Cup 40 times and the Scottish League Cup 19 times.[3] The club enjoyed their greatest successes during the 1960s and 1970s under Jock Stein when they won nine consecutive league titles and the European Cup.[4]
As of the end of the 2018–19 season, the club have played more than 120 seasons in Scottish football. The table details their achievements and the top goalscorer in senior major first-team competitions to the end of the most recently completed season. Details of the partially completed league campaign in the 1939–40 season, abandoned due to the Second World War, are also included.[5]
History
Celtic played their first ever competitive match on 1 September 1888, a first round Scottish Cup tie against Shettleston, winning 5–1,[6] and eventually reaching the final where they lost to Third Lanark after a replay.[7] The team also made their debuts in the Glasgow Cup and the North-Eastern Cup that same season, reaching the semi-final of the Glasgow Cup where they lost to Queens Park,[7] and defeating Cowlairs 6–1 in the final of the North-Eastern Cup to win their first ever trophy.[1][8] The Scottish Football League was formed in 1890, and Celtic were among the founding members,[9] finishing third behind joint-winner's Rangers and Dumbarton in the competition's inaugural season.[10]
In 1891, Celtic won their second trophy when they beat Third Lanark 4–0 in the final of the Glasgow Cup.[11] The following year saw Celtic winning their first major tournament, defeating Queen's Park 5–1 in the 1892 Scottish Cup Final.[3] A first league title then followed in season 1892–93.[3] The Glasgow Cup remained a prestigious tournament for some years, but declined in importance after the Second World War following the introduction of the Scottish League Cup and European club competitions.[12] Celtic have since gone on to win the Scottish League Championship on 51 occasions, including a run of nine consecutive titles in the 1960s and 1970s, the Scottish Cup 40 times, and the Scottish League Cup 19 times.[3]
Celtic first participated in European competition during the 1962–63 season, their third place finish in the league the previous season qualifying them for the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[13] They went on to reach two European Cup Winner's Cup semi-finals in 1964 and 1966,[14] before going on to become the first British club to win the European Cup in 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2–1 in the final.[15] Celtic reached the European Cup Final again in 1970, but lost to Feyenoord.[16] Their last appearance in a European final was in 2003 when they lost 3–2 to FC Porto in the UEFA Cup Final.[17] [18]
Key
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- Goals noted for Top Goalscorer comprises goals scored in League, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup, Glasgow Cup and European Club competitions.
Seasons
Notes
- The Scottish League Cup competition did not begin until 1946.
- European club competitions did not begin until 1955.
- First League and Cup 'double'.
- Second League and Cup 'double'.
- Also won the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup to claim all four tournaments entered.
- 1908–09 Scottish Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic was abandoned due to a riot. The trophy was withheld.
- Third League and Cup 'double'.
- The competition was withdrawn due to the outbreak of the First World War. Unofficial wartime tournaments included the Navy and Army War Fund Shield and the 1919 Victory Cup.
- The 1939–40 season was suspended following the outbreak of the Second World War
- John Divers is listed as Celtic's top scorer for 1939-40, but this tally includes goals scored in the unofficial wartime competitions set up in the aftermath of the suspension of official football. Prior to the official season being suspended in October 1939, Frank Murphy was the top scorer.
- European club competitions did not begin until 1955.
- 12th place in 1947–48 is Celtic's lowest ever league position.
- Fourth League and Cup 'double'.
- First League and League Cup 'double'.
- First League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'.
- Won all five tournaments entered; first northern European club to win European Cup.
- Second League and League Cup 'double'.
- Second League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'.
- Third League and League Cup 'double'.
- Fifth League and Cup 'double'.
- Sixth League and Cup 'double'.
- Seventh League and Cup 'double'.
- First Cup and League Cup 'double'.
- Eighth League and Cup 'double'.
- Ninth League and Cup 'double'.
- The Glasgow Cup becomes a youth team competition.
- Fourth League and League Cup 'double'.
- Third League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'.
- Tenth League and Cup 'double'.
- Fifth League and League Cup 'double'.
- Eleventh League and Cup 'double'.
- Twelfth League and Cup 'double'.
- Sixth League and League Cup 'double'.
- Fourth League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'.
- Fifth League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'; second in succession.
- Sixth League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'; third in succession.
- All competitive matches affiliated with the Scottish Football Association were postponed indefinitely on 13 March 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Season curtailed and standings at time of postponement declared final (including Celtic as champions) on 18 May 2020.[23]
- Seventh League, Cup and League Cup 'treble'; fourth in succession.
References
- "Brief history". Celtic FC. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- Stokkermans, Karel. "Coventric!". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "About Celtic". Celtic FC. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
- Sullivan, Joe (10 September 2017). "Jock Stein - the man who made the modern-day Celtic". Celtic FC. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Welcome to Celtic@FitbaStats". FitbaStats - Celtic. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- Cuddihy, Paul; Friel, David (2010). The Century Bhoys: The Official History of Celtic's Greatest Goalscorers. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845026103. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
- "Results For Season 1888/1889". FitbaStats - Celtic. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- "Glasgow North-eastern Football Association Final Cup Tie". The Scotsman. 13 May 1889. p. 5.
- "The Scottish Football League 1890 - 1891". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- "SFL Archive 1890/1891". SPFL. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- "Glasgow Cup Finals 1888-2017" (PDF). Glasgow FA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
- "History". Glasgow FA. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "Celtic in Europe 1961-64". Jim Craig's Football 50. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- "Celtic FC - History". UEFA.com. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- Barham, Albert (26 May 1967). "Relentless attack captures European Cup". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- Green, Geoffrey (7 May 1970). "Dutch humble Celtic to take cup". The Times. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- "Derlei decides dramatic final". UEFA.com. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
- Forsyth, Roddy (2 December 2007). "Celtic's form has James Forrest dreaming of a European run to rival 2003". The Telegraph. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- Brown, Alan; Preston, Simon; Di Maggio, Roberto. "Scotland - List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- "League Tables". FitbaStats - Celtic. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- "Competition History (By Season)". FitbaStats - Celtic. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- "Player Records (By Season)". FitbaStats - Celtic. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
- "Celtic champions & Hearts relegated after SPFL ends season". BBC Sport. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.