97-551: Bellshill (pronounced "Bells hill") is a town in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, ten miles (sixteen kilometres) southeast of Glasgow city centre and 37 mi (60 km) west of Edinburgh . Other nearby localities are Motherwell 2 mi (3 km) to the south, Hamilton 3 mi (5 km) to the southwest, Viewpark 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (2.5 km) to the west, Holytown 2 mi (3 km) to
194-923: A Catholic school. Historically a Relief Church for 1000 people was built in Bellshill in 1763. Today several churches serve the town. St Andrews United Free Church of Scotland sits at Bellshill Cross whilst the Church of Scotland parish churches are at opposite ends of the Main Street. Bellshill Central Parish church is opposite The Academy, and Bellshill West Parish Church is next to the Sir Matt Busby Sports Centre. The town's Roman Catholic parish churches are St Gerard's, Sacred Heart, and Holy Family, Mossend. Bellshill lies at an important point on Scotland's motorway network, situated around 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.5 kilometres) south of
291-519: A Champions League match against Barcelona . They won 2–1 on the night to complete a memorable week, and eventually qualified from the group stages for the round of 16. Celtic finished the season with the SPL and Scottish Cup double. The club clinched their third consecutive league title in March 2014, with goalkeeper Fraser Forster setting a new record during the campaign of 1,256 minutes without conceding
388-658: A League and Cup double in 1954. On 19 October 1957, Celtic defeated Rangers in the final of the Scottish League Cup at Hampden Park in Glasgow, retaining the trophy they had won for the first time the previous year; the 7–1 scoreline remains a record win in a British domestic cup final. The years that followed, however, saw Celtic struggle and the club won no more trophies under McGrory. Former Celtic captain Jock Stein succeeded McGrory in 1965. He won
485-477: A Tuath ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland . It borders the north-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns , and villages. It also borders East Dunbartonshire , Falkirk , Stirling , South Lanarkshire , and West Lothian . The council area covers parts of the historic counties of Dunbartonshire , Lanarkshire , and Stirlingshire . The council
582-678: A deal believed to be the biggest kit sponsorship ever in Scottish sport. Celtic's stadium is Celtic Park , which is in the Parkhead area of Glasgow . Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,411, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield , Old Trafford , Twickenham , Wembley , the London Stadium , Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and
679-630: A goal in a league match. At the end of the season, manager Neil Lennon announced his departure from the club after four years in the role. Norwegian Ronny Deila was appointed manager of Celtic on 6 June 2014. He went on to lead the team to two consecutive league titles and a League Cup, but the team's performances in European competition were poor. After being eliminated from the Scottish Cup by Rangers in April 2016, Deila announced he would leave
776-458: A ground with a reputation on par with Celtic Park for its intensity and atmosphere. In June 2018, Celtic announced a series of stadium improvements that would be implemented before the 2018–19 season. These include the installation of new LED floodlights and a new entertainment system, a stadium-wide PA system and a new hybrid playing surface . In 2003 Celtic were estimated to have a fan base of nine million people, including one million in
873-519: A list of whom they considered the "best" football supporters in the world. Celtic fans were placed third, the only club in Britain on the list, with the magazine highlighting their rendition of " You'll Never Walk Alone " before the start of European ties at Celtic Park. On 23 October 2017, Celtic fans were awarded with the FIFA Fan Award for their tifo commemorating the 50th anniversary of
970-605: A merger of the districts of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth , Monklands , Motherwell and the Chryston area from Strathkelvin district (the rest of which went to East Dunbartonshire ). For lieutenancy purposes, North Lanarkshire straddles the Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire lieutenancies, with the area generally north of Luggie Water (including Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) coming under the Dunbartonshire lieutenancy and
1067-607: A record 106 points, becoming the first Scottish side to complete a top-flight league season undefeated since Rangers in 1899. Celtic clinched their fourth treble by defeating Aberdeen 2–1 in the 2017 Scottish Cup Final , the result of which saw the club go through the entire domestic season unbeaten. Celtic continued their unbeaten domestic run into the following season, eventually extending it to 69 games, surpassing their own 100-year-old British record of 62 games, before finally losing to Hearts in November 2017. Celtic retained
SECTION 10
#17327832809791164-765: A season on loan in 1923–24), a British goal-scoring record to this day. In January 1940, Willie Maley's retirement was announced. He was 71 years old and had served the club in varying roles for nearly 52 years, initially as a player and then as secretary-manager. Jimmy McStay became manager of the club in February 1940. He spent over five years in this role, although due to the Second World War no official competitive league football took place during this time. The Scottish Football League and Scottish Cup were suspended and in their place regional league competitions were set up. Celtic did not do particularly well during
1261-445: A shirt sponsor for season 1992–93, and for the first time since the early 1980s Celtic took to the field in 'unblemished' hoops. Despite the loss of marketing revenue, sales of the new unsponsored replica top increased dramatically. Celtic regained shirt sponsorship for season 1993–94, with CR Smith returning as shirt sponsors in a four-year deal. In 2005 the club severed their connection with Umbro , suppliers of their kits since
1358-412: A small number of fans invaded the pitch. Celtic have taken measures to reduce sectarianism. In 1996, the club launched its 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". Some groups of Celtic fans have expressed their support for Irish republicanism and
1455-707: Is a professional football club in Glasgow , Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership , the top division of Scottish football . The club was founded in 1887 with the purpose of alleviating poverty in the Irish–Scots population in the city's East End area. They played their first match in May 1888, a friendly match against Rangers which Celtic won 5–2. Celtic established themselves within Scottish football, winning six successive league titles during
1552-519: Is based in Motherwell . The area was formed in 1996, covering the districts of Cumbernauld and Kilsyth , Motherwell , and Monklands , plus the Chryston and Auchinloch areas from Strathkelvin district, all of which had been in the Strathclyde region between 1975 and 1996. As a new single-tier authority, North Lanarkshire became responsible for all functions previously performed by both
1649-404: Is handwritten on a map by Timothy Pont dated 1596; the letters are difficult to distinguish. It's possible that it reads Belſsill with the first s being an old-fashioned long s . The site is recorded as being east of " Vdinſtoun " and north of " Bothwel-hauch " (which confusingly is above " Orbeſton " on Pont's map). The name can also been seen on a map, which was derived from Pont's work, made by
1746-562: Is sometimes referred to as 'Little Lithuania' because of these immigrants. (Historically it was called 'Little Poland', as contemporary evidence shows locals did not work to distinguish incomers' backgrounds). Factors adversely affecting integration for the first generation of these 'new Scots' included a language barrier, minority religion (most were Catholic), and hostility based on suspicion that they were taking jobs, by accepting lower wages and being used to break strikes. – Lithuanians in Bellshill and elsewhere tended to identify more closely with
1843-509: The 2003 UEFA Cup Final , losing in both. Celtic have a long-standing fierce rivalry with Rangers and, together, the clubs are known as the Old Firm . Their matches against each other are regarded as among the world's biggest football derbies. The club's fanbase was estimated in 2003 as being around 9 million worldwide and there are more than 160 Celtic supporters clubs in over 20 countries. An estimated 80,000 fans travelled to Seville for
1940-495: The Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu ; he calls the place "Belmil". The village consisted of a row of quarry workers' houses owned by a Mr. Bell, who owned a stone quarry to the south of Belmill. Charles Ross's map of 1773 has "Belsihill" marked north of Crosgates and Orbiston. About 1810, this new settlement took on the name Bellshill and continued to grow. It absorbed nearby villages such as Nesnas, Black Moss and Sykehead. Bellshill
2037-584: The Irish Republican Army by singing or chanting about them at matches. In 2008 and 2010, there were protests by groups of fans over the team wearing the poppy for Remembrance Day , as the symbol is opposed by Irish Republicans owing to its association with the British military. Celtic expressed disapproval of these protests, saying they were damaging to the image of the club and its fans, and pledged to ban those involved. In 2011, UEFA and
SECTION 20
#17327832809792134-990: The Kilsyth Hills . The highest population density of North Lanarkshire is in the urbanised south-west, which is part of the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area. Northern and eastern areas are more rural in character, with agricultural activity such as dairy and meat farming. The largest towns in North Lanarkshire are Cumbernauld , which in 2022 had a population of approximately 58,000, followed by Coatbridge (43,970), Airdrie (37,130) and Motherwell (32,120). Largest settlements by population: 50,530 43,950 36,390 32,840 30,050 19,700 15,830 10,380 8,630 7,700 7,140 6,830 6,720 6,070 5,430 5,100 3,870 3,210 3,150 3,100 Celtic F.C. The Celtic Football Club , commonly known as Celtic ( / ˈ s ɛ l t ɪ k / ),
2231-569: The Lisbon Lions , with the kits having a line on each side to represent the handles of the European Cup . The kits also included a commemorative crest, designed specifically for the season. The regular crest was reinstated the following season, although the away strip featured a Celtic cross once again in reference to the club's heritage. In March 2020, Celtic announced a new five-year partnership with Adidas starting on 1 July 2020, in
2328-603: The M8 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh and their respective airports. It is about the same distance north of the M74 motorway to and from England; the A725 road running directly to the west of the town links the two. The presence of this busy transport corridor and the availability of land following the decline of older heavy industry has led to the development of two large, modern industrial estates (Bellshill and Righead) flanking
2425-731: The Millennium Stadium . It is commonly known as Parkhead or Paradise. Celtic opened the original Celtic Park in the Parkhead area in 1888. The club moved to a different site in 1892, however, when the rental charge was greatly increased. The new site was developed into an oval shaped stadium, with vast terracing sections. The record attendance of 83,500 was set by an Old Firm derby on 1 January 1938. The terraces were covered and floodlights were installed between 1957 and 1971. The Taylor Report mandated that all major clubs should have an all-seated stadium by August 1994. Celtic
2522-463: The Mossend area of Bellshill. It has become one of the largest mosques in Scotland. The streetscape project, a plan to regenerate and modernise the town centre, commenced Apr 2007 and was completed nearly three years later. The project, created a one-way system on the main street and provided more space for pedestrians. Bellshill once had six primary schools, including Belvidere Primary School. This
2619-627: The Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Commonwealth Games , the 2005 Special Olympics National Games and the 1990 Special Olympics European Games. Celtic Park has occasionally been used for concerts, including performances by The Who and U2 . In July 2016, Celtic Park became the first British football stadium to have a " rail seating " (safe standing) area in the ground. Rail seating is particularly common in Germany 's Bundesliga , most notably at Borussia Dortmund 's Westfalenstadion ,
2716-478: The Scottish Premier League investigated the club over pro-IRA chants by fans at different games. UEFA fined Celtic £12,700, while the SPL took no action, as the club had taken all reasonable action to prevent the chants. In 1965, Celtic began publishing its own newspaper, The Celtic View , now the oldest club magazine in football. It was the brainchild of future chairman Jack McGinn, who at
2813-655: The Scottish league championship 54 times, most recently in 2023–24 , the Scottish Cup a record 42 times and the Scottish League Cup 21 times. The club's greatest season was 1966–67 , when Celtic became the first British team to win the European Cup , also winning the Scottish league championship , the Scottish Cup , the League Cup and the Glasgow Cup . Celtic also reached the 1970 European Cup Final and
2910-683: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK . However, in August 2021, Celtic announced the restart of the production activities for the magazine, which was turned into a 100-page, quarterly publication. From 2002, Celtic's Internet TV channel Channel67 (previously known as Celtic Replay) broadcast Celtic's own content worldwide and offered live match coverage to subscribers outside the UK. It also provided three online channels. In 2004, Celtic launched their own digital TV channel called Celtic TV , which
3007-652: The " Lisbon Lions ". The following season Celtic lost to Racing Club of Argentina in the Intercontinental Cup . Celtic reached the European Cup Final again in 1970 , but were beaten 2–1 by Feyenoord at the San Siro in Milan. The club continued to dominate Scottish football in the early 1970s, and their Scottish Championship win in 1974 was their ninth consecutive league title , equalling
Bellshill - Misplaced Pages Continue
3104-562: The 12th highest average league attendance out of all the football clubs in Europe in 2011. A study of stadium attendance figures from 2013 to 2018 by the CIES Football Observatory ranked Celtic at 16th in the world during that period, and their proportion of the distribution of spectators in Scotland at 36.5%, the highest of any club in the leagues examined. In October 2013, French football magazine So Foot published
3201-405: The 1960s and entered into a contract with Nike . To mark the 40th anniversary of their European Cup win, a special crest was introduced for the 2007–08 season. The star that represents this triumph was retained when the usual crest was reinstated the following season. In 2012, a retro style kit was designed by Nike that included narrower hoops to mark the club's 125th anniversary. A special crest
3298-418: The 19th century, as well as the building of the Glasgow to Edinburgh railway, transformed the region. The towns of Motherwell, Coatbridge and Wishaw became centres of the iron and steel industry. These industries began to decline in the second half of the 20th century, while a growth occurred in the financial and technology sectors, as well as a growth in logistics services related to the heavy goods traffic in
3395-529: The 2003 UEFA Cup Final, and their "extraordinarily loyal and sporting behaviour" in spite of defeat earned the fans Fair Play awards from both FIFA and UEFA . 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 Irish Marist Brother Walfrid on 6 November 1887, with the purpose of alleviating poverty in
3492-548: The A725. The Eurocentral industrial and distribution park is about 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (2.5 kilometres) northeast of the town, and also features a railway freight terminal . Once heavily reliant on the railways relating to coal mining, Bellshill is still served by a rail junction to the east of Mossend; it connects two of the main passenger routes covering southern, western and central Scotland Argyle Line –and Shotts Line – both of which stop at Bellshill railway station in
3589-591: The East End of Glasgow by raising money for the charity Walfrid had instituted, 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 , which was 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
3686-573: The Irish communities of each town, who had similar issues. The rise in the migrant population (though severely lessened by the political changes following the First World War and subsequent Russian Revolution , which adversely affected the status of Lithuanians both in their homeland and in Britain) resulted in their opening The Scottish Lithuanian Recreation and Social Club on Calder Road in
3783-578: The League Cup that same month by defeating Motherwell in the final , and went on to clinch their seventh consecutive league title in April 2018. They went on to defeat Motherwell again in the 2018 Scottish Cup Final to clinch a second consecutive domestic treble (the "double treble"), the first club in Scotland to do so. Rodgers left the club midway through following season to join Leicester City ; Neil Lennon returned as caretaker manager for
3880-524: The Marist Brothers' badge on the right hand side, consisting of a green Celtic cross inside a red circle. In 1889, the club changed to a green and white vertically striped top and for the next fourteen years this remained unchanged although the colour of the shorts alternated between white and black several times over this period. The top did not feature a crest. In 1903, Celtic adopted their now famous green and white hooped tops. The new design
3977-669: The Mossend area. Gradually Lithuanian culture has faded over the decades, as families have assimilated into Scottish life. Younger generations sometimes are unaware of their family's history, also because of intermarriage, name changes and anglicisation of distinctive surnames (either voluntarily or by obligation). Among the most famous of the descendants of this community was footballer Billy McNeill of Celtic and Scotland . Other mid-20th century players of Lithuanian heritage included Andy Swallow , Alex Millar , Matt Balunas , and John Jack . Iron and steel production were also central to
Bellshill - Misplaced Pages Continue
4074-459: The Orbiston area of Bellshill, heading towards Forgewood . The following list refers to notable people who were born in Bellshill, although they did not necessarily reside there. The town was home to Lanarkshire's maternity hospital in the latter part of the 20th century. North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( Scots : North Lanrikshire ; Scottish Gaelic : Siorrachd Lannraig
4171-471: The Scottish Cup in both 1907 and 1908 , the first times a Scottish club had ever won the double . During World War I , Celtic won the league four times in a row, including 62 matches unbeaten between November 1915 and April 1917. The mid-1920s saw the emergence of Jimmy McGrory as one of the most prolific goalscorers in British football history; over a sixteen-year playing career, he scored 550 goals in 547 games (including 16 goals for Clydebank during
4268-669: The Scottish Cup in his first few months at the club, and then led them to the League title the following season. 1967 was Celtic's annus mirabilis . The club won every competition they entered: the Scottish League, the Scottish Cup, the Scottish League Cup, the Glasgow Cup , and the European Cup . With this haul, Celtic became the first club to win the European Treble and remains the only club to win
4365-598: The US and Canada. There are over 160 Celtic Supporters Clubs in over 20 countries around the world. An estimated 80,000 Celtic supporters, many without match tickets, travelled to Seville in Spain for the UEFA Cup Final in May 2003. The club's fans subsequently received awards from UEFA and FIFA for their behaviour at the match. Celtic has the highest average home attendance of any Scottish club. They also had
4462-505: The United Kingdom. This was the latest in a series of reforms, notably including the creation of Lanarkshire County Council in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 , and the abolition of the county councils and creation of Strathclyde Regional Council and lower-tier district councils in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 . The 1996 reform abolished Strathclyde, and established North Lanarkshire as
4559-596: The area north of the Kelvin being in Stirlingshire. Prior to the 1975 reforms there were five burghs in the area now covered by North Lanarkshire: The population of the area which would become North Lanarkshire grew quickly during the Industrial Revolution . In the 18th century the area's towns, including Motherwell, were active in textile production. The discovery of coal and iron ore deposits in
4656-415: The area. The new town of Cumbernauld expanded rapidly after World War II , and is now the largest town in North Lanarkshire. The growth of the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area into the south-western part of North Lanarkshire has also led to a large number of residential areas for commuters. The North Lanarkshire council area was established in 1996 as part of a reorganisation of local government in
4753-477: The club also won the domestic treble, making O'Neill only the second Celtic manager to do so after Jock Stein. In 2003, around 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to watch the club compete in the UEFA Cup Final in Seville . Celtic lost 3–2 to Porto after extra time, despite two goals from Henrik Larsson during normal time. The conduct of the thousands of travelling Celtic supporters received widespread praise from
4850-529: The club at the end of the season. On 20 May 2016, Brendan Rodgers was announced as Deila's successor. His first season saw the team go on a long unbeaten run in domestic competitions, during which time the club won their 100th major trophy, defeating Aberdeen 3–0 in the League Cup Final in November 2016. Celtic also clinched their sixth successive league title in April 2017 with a record eight league games to spare, and eventually finished with
4947-417: The club exceeding a £5 million overdraft . However, expatriate businessman Fergus McCann wrested control of the club, and ousted the family dynasties which had controlled Celtic since its foundation. According to media reports, McCann took over the club minutes before it was to be declared bankrupt. McCann reconstituted the club business as a public limited company – Celtic PLC – and oversaw
SECTION 50
#17327832809795044-481: The club has a large following, especially in Northern Ireland, several clubs have been founded there by local Celtic fans. The most notable and successful was Belfast Celtic , formed in 1891 simply as Celtic . Upon incorporation as a limited company in 1901, however, the club adopted the name "Belfast Celtic", the title "Celtic Football Club Ltd" already being registered by the Glasgow club. Their home from
5141-522: The club's European cup win. The award celebrates the best fan moment of November 2016 to August 2017. Celtic's traditional rivals are Rangers ; collectively, the two clubs are known as the Old Firm and seen by some as the world's biggest football derby. The two have dominated Scottish football's history; between them, they have won the Scottish league championship 108 times (as of May 2023) since its inception in 1890 – all other clubs combined have won 19 championships. The two clubs are also by far
5238-453: The club's Irish and Scottish roots and was adopted at the same meeting. The club has the official nickname, The Bhoys . However, according to the Celtic press office, the newly established club was known to many as "the bold boys". A postcard from the early 20th century that pictured the team and read "The Bould Bhoys" is the first known example of the unique spelling. The extra h imitates
5335-451: The development of the town through the 19th century. J. B. Neilson, developer of the revolutionary ' hot blast ' process, opened the first iron works in the area (Mossend Iron Works) in 1839. During the industrial boom there were a number of railway stations, including Mossend , Fallside and Bell Cross. The settlement is now served solely by Bellshill railway station . Maternity services were provided at Bellshill Maternity Hospital until
5432-453: The east and Coatbridge 3 mi (5 km) to the north. The town of Bellshill (including the villages of Orbiston and Mossend ) has a population of about 20,650. From 1996 to 2016, it was considered to be part of the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area . Since then it has been counted as part of a continuous suburban settlement anchored by Motherwell, with a total population of around 125,000. The earliest record of Bellshill's name
5529-606: The fabled Quadruple. Under the leadership of Stein, the club defeated Inter Milan 2–1 at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, on 25 May 1967 to become the first British team, and indeed the first from outside Spain, Portugal and Italy to win the European Cup. They remain the only Scottish team to have reached the final. The players that day, all of whom were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, subsequently became known as
5626-506: The feat in 2007–08 before departing the club in May 2009, after failing to win the SPL title . Tony Mowbray took charge of the club in June 2009, and he was succeeded a year later by Neil Lennon . In November 2010, Celtic set an SPL record for the biggest win in SPL history, defeating Aberdeen 9–0 at Celtic Park. Celtic celebrated their 125th anniversary in November 2012, the same week as
5723-418: The first decade of the 20th century. The club enjoyed their greatest successes during the 1960s and 70s under Jock Stein , when they won nine consecutive league titles and the 1967 European Cup . Celtic have played in green and white throughout their history, adopting in 1903 the hoops that have been used ever since. Celtic are one of only six clubs in the world to have won over 100 trophies. The club has won
5820-574: The following season won the Scottish League Championship for the first time. In 1895, Celtic set the League record for the highest home score when they beat Dundee 11–0. In 1897, the club became a private limited company and Willie Maley was appointed as the first 'secretary- manager '. Between 1905 and 1910 , Celtic won the Scottish League Championship six times in a row. They also won
5917-401: The hospital was closed in 2001. According to a report by the Halifax Building Society, in the first quarter of 2005 Bellshill was the UK's property hot spot with a 46% rise in house prices. This took the average property price to £105,698 (according to reports published April 2005). Reflecting an increase in new Muslim immigrant populations from east Asia, in 2006, a new mosque was opened in
SECTION 60
#17327832809796014-408: The joint world record held at the time by MTK Budapest and CSKA Sofia . Celtic enjoyed further domestic success in the 1980s, and in their Centenary season of 1987–88 won a Scottish Premier Division and Scottish Cup double. The club endured a slump in the early 1990s, culminating in the Bank of Scotland informing directors on 3 March 1994 that it was calling in the receivers as a result of
6111-505: The league when professional football in Scotland was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . they were confirmed as champions in May 2020 following a SPFL board meeting where it was agreed that completing the full league campaign was infeasible. The completion of the 2019–20 Scottish Cup was delayed, with the semi-finals and final – between Celtic and Hearts as in the previous year – not taking place until late autumn/winter of 2020. Celtic won on penalty-kicks after
6208-404: The map as an indie rock hot-spot in Scotland. The scene - known as the Bellshill Sound or the Bellshill Beat - was celebrated by influential DJ John Peel in the Channel 4 television series Sounds Of The Suburbs . Bellshill continues to produce well respected and influential independent pop music, with members of Mogwai and De Rosa hailing from the town. Sheena Easton was also from
6305-455: The mid-19th century, many cottage weavers lost their livelihood. Demand for coal to feed British industry resulted in expansion that by the 1870s, produced 20 deep pits operating in the area. The first mine to open (and the last to close in 1953) was the Thankerton mine. Others followed swiftly and rapidly increased the size of the town, attracting a steady stream of immigrant workers from abroad, particularly from Ireland and Lithuania . The town
6402-420: The most supported in Scotland, with Celtic having the sixth highest home attendance in the UK during the 2014–15 season. Celtic have a historic association with the people of Ireland and Scots of Irish descent, both of whom are mainly Roman Catholic . Traditionally fans of rivals Rangers came from Scottish or Northern Irish Protestant backgrounds and support Unionism in Ireland . The clubs have attracted
6499-501: The name of Lurgan Celtic was originally formed in 1903, with the obvious slant of aiming towards the Roman Catholic community of the town , adopting the name and colours of the Glaswegian Celtic. The County Armagh club currently plays in the NIFL Championship . In the Republic of Ireland, both Tuam Celtic A.F.C. and Castlebar Celtic F.C. play at grounds called Celtic Park. Throughout Scotland and England, other clubs have been named after and adopted Celtic's kit. These include
6596-521: The new stadium on its completion was £40 million. Celtic Park has been used as a venue for Scotland internationals and Cup Finals, particularly when Hampden Park has been unavailable. Before the First World War , Celtic Park hosted various other sporting events, including composite rules shinty-hurling , track and field and the 1897 Track Cycling World Championships . Open-air masses , and First World War recruitment drives have also been held there. In more recent years, Celtic Park has hosted
6693-439: The now defunct Scottish club Blantyre Celtic F.C. ; Irish club Listowel Celtic F.C.; and English lower-league clubs Cleator Moor Celtic F.C. , which was founded in 1908–09 by Irish immigrants employed in the local iron ore mines, Celtic Nation F.C. (now defunct) and West Allotment Celtic F.C. Somerset club Yeovil Town F.C. , who traditionally wore an all-green shirt, modified their uniform to emulate Celtic's, inspired by
6790-422: The original county town at Lanark , now in South Lanarkshire , which had been the site of the first Parliament of Scotland under Kenneth II in 978. The northern parts of what is now North Lanarkshire were in the counties of Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire prior to 1975, with Cumbernauld and the area generally north of Luggie Water and south of the River Kelvin being in Dunbartonshire, and Kilsyth and
6887-459: The people of Seville and the fans were awarded Fair Play Awards from both FIFA and UEFA "for their extraordinarily loyal and sporting behaviour". Gordon Strachan was announced as O'Neill's replacement in June 2005 and after winning the SPL title in his first year in charge, he became only the third Celtic manager to win three titles in a row. He also guided Celtic to their first UEFA Champions League knockout stage in 2006–07 and repeated
6984-450: The period from 1996 to 2003, eight deaths in Glasgow were directly linked to Old Firm matches, and hundreds of assaults. Both sets of fans fought on the pitch after Celtic's victory in the 1980 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park . There was serious fan disorder during an Old Firm match played in May 1999 at Celtic Park; missiles were thrown by Celtic fans, including one which struck referee Hugh Dallas , who needed medical treatment and
7081-556: The players' shorts. This unusual tradition survived until 1994, although numbered shirts were worn in European competition from 1975 onwards. Celtic's tradition of wearing numbers on their shorts rather than on the back of their shirts was brought to an end when the Scottish Football League instructed Celtic to wear numbers on their shirts from the start of the 1994–95 season. Celtic responded by adding numbers to
7178-401: The redevelopment of Celtic Park into a 60,832 all-seater stadium. In 1998 Celtic won the title again under Dutchman Wim Jansen and prevented Rangers from beating their nine-in-a-row record. Martin O'Neill took charge of the club in June 2000. Under his leadership, Celtic won three SPL championships out of five (losing the others by very small margins) and in his first season in charge
7275-461: The regional council and the district councils, which were abolished. The largest part of North Lanarkshire, being the approximately two-thirds of the council area lying generally south of the Luggie Water , was in the historic county of Lanarkshire . Lanarkshire had existed as a shire from around the time of King David I , who ruled Scotland from 1124 to 1153. The county took its name from
7372-795: The remainder coming under the Lanarkshire lieutenancy . North Lanarkshire lies in the Central Valley of Scotland, to the east of Glasgow . It lies on the Scotland's north–south watershed with the River Clyde flowing through the west of the county on its way to the Irish Sea , and the River Almond in the east emptying into the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh. The northern areas consist of forests as well as higher areas such as
7469-438: The rest of the season and helped Celtic secure an unprecedented third consecutive domestic treble (the "treble treble"), defeating Hearts 2–1 in the 2019 Scottish Cup Final . Later that month, he was confirmed as the club's new manager. In December 2019, Lennon led Celtic to a 1–0 win over Rangers in the 2019 Scottish League Cup Final , the club's tenth consecutive domestic trophy. By March 2020, Celtic were 13 points ahead in
7566-799: The same year was Celtic Park on Donegall Road in west Belfast , known to the fans as Paradise . It was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until it withdrew from the Irish League in 1949. Donegal Celtic , currently playing in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League , was established in 1970, with the Celtic part being taken on due to the massive local following for Scotland's Celtic and formerly Belfast Celtic. They are nicknamed The Wee Hoops and play at Donegal Celtic Park on Suffolk Road in Belfast. A club by
7663-470: The sides tied at 3–3 after extra time , clinching a fourth successive treble. However, Celtic struggled throughout the 2020–21 season with poor performances in Europe, knocked out of the League Cup by Ross County , and by February 2021 were trailing 18 points behind Rangers in the league – effectively ending their hopes of winning "ten in a row" league titles. Lennon resigned on 24 February 2021, with assistant manager John Kennedy taking interim charge of
7760-412: The spelling system of Gaelic , wherein the letter b is often accompanied by the letter h . On 28 May 1888, Celtic played their first official match against Rangers and won 5–2 in what was described as a "friendly encounter". Neil McCallum scored Celtic's first goal. Celtic's first kit consisted of a white shirt with a green collar, black shorts, and emerald green socks. The original club crest
7857-854: The support of opposing factions in the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Some supporters use songs, chants and banners at matches to abuse or show support for the Protestant or Catholic religions and proclaim support for Northern Irish paramilitary groups such as the IRA and UVF . There have been over 400 Old Firm matches played. The games have been described as having an "atmosphere of hatred, religious tension and intimidation which continues to lead to violence in communities across Scotland." The rivalry has fuelled many assaults and even deaths on Old Firm Derby days. Admissions to hospital emergency rooms have been reported to increase ninefold over normal levels and in
7954-461: The team. In the closing weeks of the season, Celtic were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Rangers which condemned them to their first trophy-less season since 2010, and finished the league campaign 25 points behind their Glasgow rivals. For most of Celtic's history their home strip has featured green and white horizontal hoops, but their original strip consisted of a white top with black shorts and black and green hooped socks. The top also featured
8051-404: The time was working in the circulation department of Beaverbrook Newspapers. McGinn himself edited the paper for the first few years, with circulation initially reaching around 26,000 copies. By 2020, it was a 72-page glossy magazine with over 6,000 weekly readers, and the top selling club magazine in the United Kingdom. In the spring of 2020, the magazine saw a temporary cease of production due to
8148-514: The top of their sleeves, however within a few weeks the football authorities ordered the club to attach them to the back of their shirts, where they appeared on a large white patch, breaking up the green and white hoops. In 1984 Celtic took up shirt sponsorship for the first time, with Fife-based double glazing firm CR Smith having their logo emblazoned on the front of the team jersey. In season 1991–92, Celtic switched to Glasgow-based car sales company Peoples as sponsors. The club failed to secure
8245-470: The town centre. The Bellshill Cultural Centre has a free library. Various singers, such as Sheena Easton , and sportsmen such as Sir Matt Busby and Billy McNeill hailed from the town (a statue of McNeill at Bellshill Cross was unveiled in 2022). Bellshill is also known for its music, especially since the mid-1980s. Bands such as the Soup Dragons , BMX Bandits , and Teenage Fanclub put Bellshill on
8342-502: The town, and attended Bellshill Academy. The town has a football team, Bellshill Athletic , that plays in the west of scotland division 2 . They play their home games at Rockburn park. They had moved from Tollcross , Glasgow, after New Brandon Park was closed to reduce costs. Bellshill also has the Sir Matt Busby Sports Complex that opened in 1995. (It is named after the late Manchester United legend who
8439-719: The war years, but did win the Victory in Europe Cup held in May 1945 as a one-off football match to celebrate Victory in Europe Day . Ex-player and captain Jimmy McGrory took over as manager in 1945. Under McGrory, Celtic defeated Arsenal , Manchester United and Hibernian to win the Coronation Cup , a one-off tournament held in May 1953 to commemorate the coronation of Elizabeth II . He also led them to
8536-415: Was a simple green cross on a red oval background. In 1889 Celtic reached the final of the Scottish Cup in their first season taking part in the competition, but lost 2–1 to Third Lanark . Celtic reached the final again in 1892 and this time were victorious after defeating Queen's Park 5–1, the club's first major honour . Several months later the club moved to its new ground, Celtic Park , and in
8633-403: Was available in the UK through Setanta Sports on satellite and cable platforms. Due to the collapse of Setanta in the UK in June 2009, Celtic TV stopped broadcasting, although the club hoped to find a new broadcast partner. In 2011, Celtic TV was relaunched as an online service and replaced Channel 67. Due to Celtic's large following, several clubs have emulated or been inspired by Celtic. As
8730-400: Was born and brought up in the area). It has a 25m swimming pool, with two large spectator seating areas either side, a large hall, and health suite. The complex also has a gym and a dance studio. A golf course is located next to nearby Strathclyde Park , which is within walking distance of parts of the town, particularly Orbiston. The Greenlink Cycle Path passes through the golf course and
8827-466: Was closed in early June 2010 and has now been demolished. Holy Family Primary School was founded in 1868. It moved to new buildings in 1907 to accommodate the influx of Lithuanian, Polish and Irish Catholics seeking work in the area. Other primary schools include Sacred Heart Primary, Mossend Primary, Noble Primary, St. Gerard's Primary, and Lawmuir Primary. There are two fairly large secondary schools, Bellshill Academy and Cardinal Newman High School ,
8924-441: Was in a bad financial position in the early 1990s and no major work was carried out until Fergus McCann took control of the club in March 1994. He carried out a plan to demolish the old terraces and develop a new stadium in a phased rebuild, which was completed in August 1998. During this development, Celtic spent the 1994–95 season playing at the national stadium Hampden Park , costing the club £500,000 in rent. The total cost of
9021-411: Was introduced with a Celtic knot design embroidered round the traditional badge. A third-choice strip based on the first strip from 1888 was also adopted for the season. In March 2015, Celtic agreed a new kit deal worth £30 million with Boston -based sportswear manufacturer New Balance to replace Nike from the start of the 2015–16 season. All of the kits for the 2017–18 season paid tribute to
9118-451: Was not until 1977 that Celtic finally adopted the club crest on their shirts. The outer segment was reversed out, with white lettering on a green background on the team shirts. The text around the clover logo on the shirts was also shortened from the official club crest to "The Celtic Football Club". For their centenary year in 1988, a commemorative crest was worn, featuring the Celtic cross that appeared on their first shirts. The 1977 version
9215-426: Was on the road which linked Glasgow and Edinburgh. According to the first Statistical Account , in the late 1700s the parish of Bothwell , which encompasses modern Bellshill, was a centre of hand-loom weaving with 113 weavers recorded. Some 50 colliers were listed. A hundred or so years later, these occupations had changed places in degree of importance to the area economy. With the introduction of new machinery in
9312-454: Was reinstated for season 1989–90. From 1945 onwards numbered shirts slowly came into use throughout Scotland, before becoming compulsory in 1960. By this time Celtic were the last club in Britain to adopt the use of numbers on the team strip to identify players. The traditionalist and idealistic Celtic chairman, Robert Kelly , baulked at the prospect of the famous green and white hoops being disfigured, and as such Celtic wore their numbers on
9409-475: Was worn for the first time on 15 August 1903 in a match against Partick Thistle . Black socks continued to be worn until the early 1930s, at which point the team switched to green socks. Plain white socks came into use in the mid-1960s, and white has been the predominant colour worn since then. The club began using a badge in the 1930s, featuring a four leaf clover logo surrounded by the club's formal title, "The Celtic Football and Athletic Coy. Ltd". However, it
#978021