7 November 1984 - Rapid Slows Down Celtic's Travel Plans

On 7 November 1984, Celtic beat Rapid Wien 3-0 to advance in the European Cup Winners' Cup, but it didn't count.

The teams met in the tournament's second round, with Rapid winning the first leg in Vienna on 24 October, 3-1. Thirteen days later, Celtic hosted the second leg in Glasgow, where they drew level on aggregate with first-half goals from Brian McClair (32') and Murdo MacLeod (45'). Tommy Burns then added another goal in the 68th minute.

Four minutes later, Burns was involved in a incident that saw the referee eject Rapid's Reinhard Kienast. As the Austrian were protesting the decision, midfielder Rudi Weinhofer went down clutching his face, apparently hit by an object thrown from the stands. He had to leave the game, which left Rapid down to 10 men as they had already used all of their substitutes. Captain Hans Krankl threatened to lead his team off the pitch in protest, but the match eventually resumed after a 15-minute delay. It ended 3-0 to Celtic, which put them through 4-3 on aggregate.

Rapid protested the result, however, and a UEFA appeals panel determined that the injury to Weinhofer justified a replay which they ordered to be played at least 100 miles away from Glasgow. So the teams met at Old Trafford in Manchester on 12 December.

Rapid won that match 1-0 to advance 4-1 on aggregate and ended up going all the way to the final in Rotterdam, where they lost to Everton, 3-1.

5 September 1931 - The Death Of John Thomson

On 5 September 1931, Celtic goalkeeper John Thomson died after colliding with a player during an Old Firm match. He was 22.

Thomson signed with Celtic in 1926 at the age of 17 and, by February 1927, he had become the team's first-choice keeper, helping them win that year's Scottish Cup. Only 5 feet 9 inches tall, he was small for the position, but made up for it with an impressive leaping ability and a willingness to challenge for any ball.  His assertive style of play led to severe injury in 1930, as a diving save left him with a broken jaw, several cracked ribs, and two lost teeth. In that same year, he received his first call-up to the Scottish national team.

Then, in September 1931, an undefeated Celtic visited Ibrox to play Rangers in the first Old Firm derby of the season. Early in the second half, with the match scoreless, Thomson went for a loose ball and collided with Rangers striker Sam English, whose knee struck the keeper in the head. The incident left Thomson with a fractured skull and a ruptured artery. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent an operation to reduce swelling in his brain, but it was unsuccessful and he died later that night.

Approximately 30,000 people attended his funeral in Cardenden, with many of them reportedly walking there from Glasgow, 55 miles away.

27 July 2005 - Celtic's Early European Vacation

On 27 July 2005, new Celtic manager Gordon Strachan's tenure started on a low note with a record loss to Artmedia Bratislava in Champions League qualification.

Strachan arrived from Southampton earlier that month, replacing Martin O'Neill. Celtic had finished as runners-up in the league in O'Neill's final season, which put them in Champions League's second qualifying round for 2005-06. There, they met Slovakian league winners Artmedia for what was the first competitive match of Strachan's time at Parkhead.

Playing at the Tehelné Pole Stadium in Bratislava, the former European Cup champions suffered an early setback when they lost striker Chris Sutton to injury. But his absence provided no excuse for the Celtic defense, who surrendered an easy tap-in goal to Juraj Halenár in the 43rd minute, giving Artmedia a 1-0 lead at the break.

Midfielder Blažej Vaščák doubled the hosts' lead in the 57th minute with a nearly identical goal, then Halenár struck again in the 76th minute with a blast from almost 25 yards out. Two minutes later, Martin Mikulič extended the lead to 4-0 by beating Celtic keeper Artur Boruc with a low ball at the near post. Halenár then did the same in the 89th minute to seal the 5-0 victory--Celtic's worst loss in European competition.

The Glasgow side won the second leg 4-0, but lost 5-4 on aggregate to exit the competition. Artmedia, led by manager Vladimir Weiss, eventually reached the group stage where they finished third behind Inter and Rangers.

Strachan remained with Celtic for four seasons, winning three league titles, one Scottish Cup, and two Scottish League Cups.

11 May 2011 - As If The Title Challenge Wasn't Exciting Enough

On 11 May 2011, with Celtic leading Hearts 0-2 at Tynecastle, manager Neil Lennon was attacked by a home supporter.

Since taking charge of Celtic in 2010, Lennon had attracted more than his fair share of unwanted attention, receiving bullets in the mail in January 2011, followed by an attempted letter bombing in March. While religious sectarianism seemed an obvious motive given its history in Scottish football, authorities believed the incidents were more likely fueled by sports rivalries.

When Celtic visited Tynecastle to play Hearts for their penultimate game of the season, they were trailing Rangers by four points, but had a game in hand. Hearts, meanwhile, were in a distant third, having already lost twice to Celtic, 3-0 and 4-0.

The third match in the series followed the pattern of the first two, with Celtic going up 0-2 in the 49th minute thanks to Gary Hooper's second goal of the day. It was at that point that Hearts supporter John Wilson jumped the barrier and tried to attack Lennon, but was quickly wrestled to the ground by a combination of police and stewards, then apprehended.

Celtic went on to win the match 0-3, but ended up finishing in second by a single point. Wilson was later convicted of breaching the peace and received an eight-month jail sentence.

22 January 1994 - A Drawful Day For Football (Sorry)

On 22 January 1994, the full slate of six Scottish top flight matches resulted in a point for everyone as all six matches ended in draws.

The day featured match-ups at both ends of the table, as league leaders Rangers were held to a scoreless draw at second-place Aberdeen, while bottom club Dundee held off second-bottom Raith Rovers, 2-2. Elsewhere, Celtic and Dundee United played to another scoreless draw, as did Partick Thistle and Motherwell, while Hearts battled Kilmarnock to a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.

The day's most surprising result came at St. Johnstone, where the tenth-place side survived their encounter with third-place Hibernian, 2-2. It was part of a seven-match unbeaten streak for the hosts, but it proved to be a brief respite--three teams were relegated at the end of the season to clear the path for a ten-team top flight the following season, and St. Johnstone were the last to go, joining Raith Rovers and Dundee.

Rangers went on to win the league, while Dundee United lifted the Scottish Cup and Hibs took the Scottish League Cup.

20 November 1915 - Celtic's Got Some Symmetry

On 20 November 1915, a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock started an unbeaten run for Celtic that lasted a British record 62 matches.

Celtic, who had won the two previous league titles in 1914 and 1915, had gotten the new season of to a great start, jumping straight to the top of the table on the first day with a 3-1 victory over Motherwell. By mid-November, they were even on points at the top with Hearts and Rangers, but had lost three of the last four matches, with the most recent stumble coming against Hearts on 13 November.

One week later, they hosted Kilmarnock and won 2-0, thanks to goals from left back Joseph Dodds and center forward James McColl. They then proceeded to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, winning 23 and drawing three, to claim their third consecutive league title. They almost made it through the next season unbeaten as well, but finally fell to Kilmarnock at home, 0-2, on the penultimate day (though they still finished on top of the table for their fourth consecutive league title).

The 62-match unbeaten run (with 49 wins and only 13 draws) remains a British record.

14 August 1971 - Dalglish Gets Going

On 14 August 1971, 20-year old striker Kenny Dalglish scored his first competitive goal to help Celtic past Rangers in the Scottish League Cup. 

Dalglish (pictured, top left) started his professional career with Celtic in 1968, but made only nine total appearances in his first three seasons. But he impressed manager Jock Stein in a friendly played in May 1971, scoring six times in Celtic's 7-2 win. 

Stein rewarded Dalglish with an appearance in their opening match of the Scottish League Cup, played at home against rivals Rangers (who had beaten Celtic in the tournament final the previous season) and Dalglish justified the decision by scoring from the penalty spot in Celtic's 2-0 victory. 

Celtic went on to reach the final, where they lost to Partick Thistle. But they won the league for the sixth straight season (and would go on the win it the next three seasons as well). Dalglish provided a total of 23 goals that season en route to a grand total of 167 in his Celtic career, which ranks him 10th on the club's list of all-time scorers. 

Before he retired in 1990, Dalglish amassed a total of 366 goals for Celtic, Liverpool, and Scotland. In 2009, FourFourTwo magazine named him British football's greatest post-war striker. 

10 August 1971 - The Coming Of Keane

On 10 August 1971, former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane was born in Cork. A tenacious central midfielder, he was known for his competitive spirit both on and off the pitch. 

He began his career with Cobh Ramblers (1989-90) and Nottingham Forest (1990-93), but spent the majority of his career at Manchester United where he played from 1993 to 2005. United paid a then-record British transfer fee of £3.75 million to sign him from Forest and Keane delivered instantly, scoring a brace in his Old Trafford debut, a 3-0 victory over Sheffield United. That first season, United went on their first league and FA Cup double. 

He would go on to win seven league titles, four FA Cups, and the Champions League with United, but his success on the pitch was often overshadowed by his temper, with Keane receiving a total of 11 red cards during his time with United, often for violent conduct. In a 2001 match against Manchester City, Keane was ejected for brutally tackling Alf-Inge Haaland. He later revealed in his autobiography that the challenge had been an intentional retaliation for a dust-up the two had had in a previous match. The admission resulted in a further 5-match ban and a fine of £150,000. 

Keane left United in 2005 after several public disagreements with his teammates and manager Alex Ferguson. He moved to Celtic, but made only 13 appearances for them before retiring in 2006. 

He turned to management later that year and has helmed Sunderland (2006-08) and Ipswich Town (2009-11). In 2013, he became an assistant with the Republic of Ireland. 

17 February 1894 - The First Old Firm Final

On 17 February 1894, Rangers won their first Scottish Cup, beating Old Firm rivals Celtic 3-1. They currently have 33, while Celtic have 36.

Rangers and Celtic had already played once that season in the league, with Rangers winning by the comfortable margin of 5-0 thanks in part to a hat-trick from midfielder John Barker. Barker struck again in the Cup Final, played at Glasgow's Cathkin Park (then known as the second Hampden Park).

The first goal, however, came from defender Hugh McCreadie, who played in Rangers' central defense alongside his brother, Andrew. Barker doubled the lead, then midfielder John McPherson added a third. Celtic, who had won the Cup two years earlier and were the reigning league title-holders, finally got a late consolation goal from half-back Willie Maley.

Although they lost the Cup, Celtic exacted their revenge one week later, beating Rangers 3-2 in the league en route to winning that season's title.

16 August 1890 - The Second Oldest League In The World

On 16 August 1890, the Scottish Football League kicked off its very first season. It is the world's second-oldest football league, two years younger than England's Football League.

Although the Scottish Football Association had existed since 1873, the teams competed in the Scottish Cup and in irregular matches among themselves. By 1890, interest in Scottish football had increased, so that the growing number of teams needed an ordered schedule. As a result, a group of eleven teams organized the Scottish Football League. The eleven were Abercorn, Cambuslang, Celtic, Cowlairs, Dumbarton, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Renton, St. Mirren, Third Lanark, and Vale of Leven. Scotland's oldest club, Queen's Park, were invited join, but declined.

Four matches were played on that opening day: Rangers beat Hearts, 5-2; Celtic lost 1-4 to Renton; Cambuslang crushed Vale of Leven, 8-2; and Dumbarton drew 1-1 with Cowlairs. Renton were expelled during the season for using professional players, but returned to the league the following season. The SFL also deducted four points each from Celtic, Cowlairs, and Third Lanark for fielding professional players.

Rangers and Dumbarton finished that first season tied for first on points. After they drew a playoff match 2-2, the SFL declared them joint champions.

5 August 2009 - A Last-Minute Goal 220 Years In The Making

On 5 August 2009, Celtic defeated Dynamo Moscow 0-2 in the Champions League third qualifying round to advance 2-1 on aggregate. It was the first time in history that Celtic won a European tie after losing the first leg at home.

They nearly didn't make it. After losing the first leg in Glasgow, 0-1, the situation looked bleak. Playing before a below-capacity crowd of 12,000 at the Arena Khimki in Moscow, the hosts appeared content to sit on their one-goal advantage. But a 44th-minute header from striker Scott McDonald leveled the aggregate score at 1-1.

Celtic, who had enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half, continued to control the match after the break. McDonald narrowly missed another goal in the 62nd minute, as his shot flew just inches past the far post. In the 79th minute, with extra-time looming, manager Tony Mowbray replaced McDonald with striker Georgios Samaras (pictured). The Greek striker quickly repaid Mowbray's faith with a stunning bit of athleticism, dribbling through three Dynamo defenders to notch the tie-winner in the 90th minute.

It was the first time in the club's more than 220 years of history that they won a European tie after losing the first leg at home. The euphoria did not last long, however, as Celtic were eliminated from the competition in the next round by Arsenal.

28 May 1888 - When The Old Firm Was Young

On 28 May 1888, newly-formed Celtic FC played their first official match, a 5-2 win against Rangers. Newspaper reports from the time state that the match was friendly both in name and spirit, in contrast to what the meeting would become.

Celtic were founded the previous November in the Calton district of Glasgow by Brother Walfrid, whose chose the name "Celtic" to emphasize the area's Irish heritage. It was a decision that linked the new club with Edinburgh's Hibernian, founded in 1875. Indeed, Celtic borrowed several Hibernian players for the match against Rangers (and would later sign several of those players the following August to Hibernian's detriment).

Accounts of that first Celtic-Rangers match are sparse, but show that Neil McCallum scored Celtic's first goal of the day, and thus their first-ever goal in an official match.

The Glasgow derby has since become one of the most hotly-contested rivalries in football, with Celtic and Rangers usually fighting one another for the Scottish league's trophies. To date, they have played a total of 387 matches in the league, the Scottish Cup, and the Scottish League Cup, with 155 Rangers wins, 139 Celtic wins, and 93 draws. Between them, they have 100 league titles—Rangers have 54, while Celtic have 46, including the last four.

10 May 1980 - Later, The SPL Determined That Water Is Wet

On 10 May 1980, Celtic won their 26th Scottish Cup, beating Rangers 1-0 before a crowd of over 70,000 at Glasgow's Hampden Park. The match itself was overshadowed by the pitch invasion afterward, followed by a riot among the rival supporters.

The Final was the last chance for either team to claim a major trophy that season, as both had been eliminated from the League Cup and Aberdeen had won the SPL a week earlier, one point ahead of second-place Celtic. Rangers finished back in fifth place.

Nevertheless, the Final itself was fairly tame. Neither team created many chances and they were scoreless after 90 minutes. Celtic found the advantage in extra time as forward George McCluskey diverted a Danny McGrain volley past Rangers keeper Peter McCloy. It was the only goal of the match, enough to give Celtic the 1-0 win and the Scottish Cup.

As the referee blew the final whistle, a multitude of Celtic supporters rushed onto the pitch. But what started as a victory celebration soon turned into a full-scale riot, as Rangers supporters joined their opposite number on the pitch and several fights broke out. The police tried to separate the two groups, but were hopelessly outnumbered.

Afterward, the SPL determined that alcohol had been a major contributor to the violence and banned its sale at league matches. Despite recent pleas to lift the ban, it remains in place.

28 April 1965 - A Lesson In Futility

On 28 April 1965, Glasgow's Third Lanark AC lost at home to Motherwell, 0-2, on the last day of the Scottish First Division season. It was Thirds' thirtieth loss of the season and their twenty-first in a row, which remains the longest losing streak in any season throughout Scottish League history.

Third Lanark started life as the footballing unit of Third Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers, but separated from the military in 1903, taking the name Third Lanark AC. They enjoyed some early successes, winning one league title (1904) and two Scottish Cups (1889, 1905). The success didn't last, however, and they were relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1924-25 season and spent the next several years moving back and forth between the top two flights.

By the 1964-65 season, they had been back in Division One for seven years and had finished as high as third in 1961. But they got progressively worse in the next few seasons, finishing one spot out of the relegation zone in 1964. They were not so lucky the next year.

Thirds were already sitting near the bottom of the table when their losing streak began on 28 November with a home loss to Celtic, 0-3. The worst defeats in the string were away to Rangers (5-0), St. Johnstone (5-0), Dunfermline Athletic (8-0), and Dundee (6-1). They hit the absolute bottom of the table on 9 January after a 3-1 away loss to Hearts and remained there for the rest of the season, finishing with only seven points out of 34 matches.

They spent two seasons in Division Two, after which the club was liquidated. They played their last match on 28 April 1967, a 5-1 away loss to Dumbarton FC.

In 1971, supporters re-formed the club as an amateur side. They currently play in the West of Scotland AFL.

12 February 2006 - Celtic's Holy Goalie

On 12 February 2006, just before the start of the second half of an Old Firm match at Ibrox, Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc sparked controversy by directing three gestures toward the Rangers supporters--gestures described by Scotland's Sunday Herald as "a V sign, another obscene gesture, and a blessing."

While generally considered innocuous, the blessing--which consisted of Boruc making the sign of the cross on himself--took on added significance due to the sectarian history of the Old Firm rivalry, with a line separating traditionally Protestant Rangers from traditionally Catholic Celtic. The Rangers supporters thus interpreted Boruc's gesture as a nod to that religious divide, claiming also that he was laughing at them and provoking them with other gestures as well.

For his part, Boruc, a devout Catholic, denied any ill intent, claiming that the blessing was simply a personal gesture in honor of his faith. Whatever the motivation, Boruc caused enough commotion in the crowd to require intervention from police and stadium security, who took 10 minutes to restore order.

Contrary to rumors following the incident, the keeper was not charged with any criminal act for making the sign of the cross, though the government did caution him against any future actions that could be deemed provacative. They made clear, however, that the caution was for the overall nature of his actions, not the blessing itself.

Celtic went on to win the match 1-0 on their way to their 40th League title.

8 February 2000 - Best. Headline. Ever.

On 8 February 2000, second-tier Scottish club Inverness Caledonian Thistle upset hosts Celtic in the Third Round of the Scottish Cup by the score of 1-3, giving rise to one of the most famous headlines in football.

Celtic were under a lot of pressure to win, having just suffered a home loss to Hearts and trailing Premier League leaders Rangers by 10 points. And they had been knocked out of the UEFA Cup three months earlier by Lyon, failing to score a goal in either leg, so the Scottish Cup looked to be their last chance to take home a major trophy.

Underdogs Caley were unwilling to concede, however, and took an early lead with a 16th-minute header from midfielder Barry Wilson. Celtic equalized two minutes later thanks to striker Mark Burchill, but handed the lead back to Caley with an own goal from back Ľubomír Moravčík in the 24th minute. The visitors extended their lead in the 57th minute with a penalty kick and Celtic failed to mount a further challenge.

After the match, the Sun immortalized it with a headline that has since become as famous as the upset itself: "Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious." (The headline was borrowed in part from a less well-remembered one written in the 1970s about Liverpool's Ian Callaghan: "Super Calley Goes Ballistic, QPR Atrocious.")

The loss proved decisive for Celtic manager John Barnes, then in his first season at Celtic Park. It was to be his only season, as he was sacked shortly after the loss and replaced by Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish would provide the club with some consolation, leading Celtic to that season's Scottish League Cup trophy, but it was not enough for him to keep the post and he was replaced by Martin O'Neill.

2 January 1971 - Disaster Strikes At Ibrox Again

On 2 January 1971, a stairway at Ibrox Stadium collapsed under the weight of exiting spectators, killing 66 people and injuring over 200 others. It remains the worst disaster in the history of Scottish football and is second in Britain only to England's Hillsborough Stadium tragedy.

The collapse occurred in the waning moments of an Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic. The match was a 0-0 draw until the 89th minute, when Celtic's Jimmy Johnstone scored to put the visitors up 0-1. At that point many Rangers supporters began to leave.

It the last moments of stoppage time, Rangers striker Colin Stein equalized, causing a loud roar from the Rangers fans still in attendance. After the match, rumors suggested that the stairway collapse was caused by returning Rangers fans climbing the stairs to get back into the stadium, but a subsequent inquiry concluded that it was caused solely by the pressure of fans exiting the stadium.

In 2001, Rangers officials erected a memorial in honor of the victims. It includes the names of all 66 spectators who lost their lives, as well as a statue of John Greig, who was captaining the Rangers side during that fateful match.

Sadly, it was the second such disaster at Ibrox. The first occurred in 1902 during a Scotland-England international when the West Stand collapsed, killing 25 and injuring 517.

29 December 2007 - The Death of Phil O'Donnell

On 29 December 2007, 35-year old Motherwell midfielder and captain Phil O'Donnell collapsed during the second half of a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause was later determined to be left ventricular failure.

O'Donnell had started his professional career with Motherwell in 1990 and claimed a Scottish Cup winner's medal in his first season. He continued to impress, winning the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year Award in 1992 and 1994. In 1994, he transferred to Celtic for a fee of £1.75 million, which remains the highest fee ever earned by a Motherwell player.

He earned another Scottish Cup medal and won a league title with Celtic, but his time in Glasgow was plagued by injuries and he left the club in 1999. After an uneventful time at Sheffield Wednesday, where he made only 20 appearances in four seasons, he returned to Motherwell in 2004.

Motherwell were enjoying a successful season in 2007-08. Going into the match on 29 December, they were sitting third in the table, which is where they would finish the season.

O'Donnell was just about to be substituted before he collapsed. His nephew, David Clarkson, was also playing for Motherwell that day and had to be substituted himself after seeing his uncle taken away in an ambulance.

After O'Donnell's death, supporters around the world paid tribute, some by leaving mementos, including scarves and shirts, at Motherwell's Fir Park ground.

26 December 1936 - A Gift For Celtic That Kept On Giving

On 26 December 1936, future Celtic and Scottish international center forward Stevie Chalmers was born in Glasgow.

Chalmers began his career with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy FC in 1953, and spent time in England with Newmarket Town in England (1955-56) before returning to Scotland with Ashfield FC (1956-59). Later in 1959, however, the 23-year old signed with Celtic, where he would make his mark on history by scoring the winning goal in Celtic's 2-1 victory over Inter in the 1967 European Cup Final in Lisbon. The win made the Glasgow side the first British team to win the trophy and earned them the nickname "the Lisbon Lions."

He played 13 seasons for Celtic, claiming 6 league titles, 4 Scottish Cups, and 5 League Cups in addition to the European title.

Chalmers left Celtic in 1971 and played for Morton (1971-72) and Partick Thistle (1972-75) before retiring in 1975.

27 November 1994 - Celtic Feels The Wrath Of Raith

On 27 November 1994, Raith Rovers defeated Celtic on penalties before a crowd of 45,000 at Glasgow's Ibrox Stadium to claim the club's first (and, to date, only) Scottish League Cup.

Founded in 1883, Rovers had enjoyed some past success, winning the First Division in 1907-08, 1937-38, and 1948-49 (a season in which they also made it to their first Scottish League Cup Final, but lost to Rangers). They began to decline through the 1950s and '60s, including relegation to the second and third divisions, but had started a resurgence in the early 1990s, earning promotion to the Premier Division for the 1993-94 season (though they were relegated back to the First Division for the following season).

At the same time, Celtic were in the midst of an uncharacteristic fallow period, having gone five seasons without winning any major silverware. They were close to ending that streak against Rovers, after going up 2-1 in the 84th minute, but Rovers striker Gordon Dalziel equalized two minutes later.

The teams battled through extra time but could not break the deadlock, sending the match to penalties. Each side's first five shooters converted and it went into sudden death. Rovers went first and again found the net, so the tally stood at 6-5 Rovers when Celtic captain Paul McStay (pictured) stepped up for his kick. He sent it low to the left, where Rovers keeper Scott Thomson met it and turned it away, giving Rovers the victory.

Rovers returned to the Premier Division in 1995, but were relegated again in 1997. They currently play in the First Division.

Celtic finally ended their silverware drought in 1995 by winning the Scottish Cup.