Celtic was founded in 1888 by Brother Walfrid as a way to raise funds to help impoverished members of Glasgow's Irish community. Celtic was the first British side to win the European Cup. They did so in 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon, Portugal. Celtic also won the Scottish League championship nine years in a row, from 1966 to 1974.
They play at the 60,830 seater Celtic Park, known as 'Paradise' by Celtic fans.
The Celtic in the club name is pronounced 'Seltic' not 'Keltic'.
Celtic fans are known as "tims"; the name is derived from the 'Tim Malloys', a group of Catholic gangs existing in Glasgow in the early 1900's.
In 2003 they got to the Final of the UEFA Cup but lost at the hands of an extra-time penalty by Porto, marking the first use of the new silver goal rule in competition. The final score in Seville was Porto 3 - Celtic 2. At the game Celtic brought with them the biggest travelling army of fans ever seen in a European tournament. Over 75000 Celtic fans from throughout the world, travelled to the city.
Famous former players include: James McGrory, Tommy Gemmell, Jock Stein, Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Johnstone, Pat Crerand, Billy McNeill (Caesar) and Henrik Larssen. Although Stein is justifiably famous as a player, he is arguably even more famous as a Celtic manager.
The current manager, at January 2004 is the Irishman Martin O'Neill from Kilrea in County Derry.
European Champions Cup (1): 1967.
Scottish League Champions (38): 1893, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, 1922, 1926, 1936, 1938, 1954, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2002.
Scottish Cup (31): 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.
Scottish League Cup (12): 1957, 1958, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1983, 1998, 2000, 2001.
See also: Glasgow