CELTIC are Scotland’s most successful football club. Celtic records trophy cabinet overflows with over 130 significant wins. This includes a record-breaking 52 Scottish football league championships. It also contains 40 Scottish Cup and 19 League Cup triumphs. Celtic also made history by winning the 1967 European Cup final.
History of Celtic Titles
Formed in 1888 to raise charity funds, Celtic won their first park trophy – the Glasgow Cup – three years later, in 1891, under manager Willie Maley. Maley spent 43 trophy-laden years guiding the Celtic football club. He led the club through a golden era, winning 4 consecutive Scottish league titles between 1906 and 1910.
But Celtic’s actual peak began under Maley’s successor, legendary manager Jock Stein. He led Celtic to 9 straight 1960s league championships from 1966 onwards. In 1967, Stein crafted Celtic’s greatest triumph – defeating mighty Inter Milan 2-1 in Lisbon to become Britain’s first-ever European champions.
Built in Stein’s attacking yet gritty, resilient image and led by captain Billy McNeill, the Lisbon Lions team reflected the club’s working-class Glasgow East End roots. Every squad member was raised within sight of Celtic Park. Their victory cemented the Lisbon Lions’ place in football folklore forever.
Manager Martin O’Neill rejuvenated Celtic in the 2000s. He won an emotional domestic treble in 2001. Incredibly, between 2011 and 2021, Celtic won 10 Scottish league titles in 11 remarkable seasons. And current manager Neil Lennon has led Celtic to a feat unmatched in Scottish football history. Scottish super club won three straight domestic trebles from 2016 to 2019.
International Victories
Celtic won 2-1 in the European Cup final (Champions League) over Inter Milan in Lisbon’s Estádio Nacional stadium on May 25, 1967. This win remains their top achievement on the international stage. Manager Jock Stein crafted a skillful yet defensively hardened team, balancing attacking flair with steel and work rate. His starting eleven reflected the strict Glaswegian upbringings of Celtic’s squad.
Celtic made British football history. They were led by their towering captain Billy McNeill. They knocked the continental aristocrats Inter Milan off their perch. The Bhoys were crowned kings of Europe with late goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers. Every iconic Lisbon Lions team member lived within 30 miles of Parkhead. More great European nights have followed. But that miraculous evening in Portugal made coach Stein’s determined Scottish warriors global folklore.
Celtic’s Record-Breaking 53 Scottish League Titles
At home, no Scottish professional club comes remotely close to Celtic’s unmatched domestic dominance. Their record is unmatched globally. The Celts have won 52 Scottish premiership titles, more than double the 34 titles won by their main rival. Across three centuries and over 5,200 matches, Celtic have celebrated generations of sustained triumph.
Club legends Jock Stein, Billy McNeill and Jimmy Johnstone have statues outside Parkhead. The statues honour their goalscoring heroics.
Statistically, Scotland’s most successful club side, Celtic’s unrelenting league success across 134 unbroken years in Scottish football, is an extraordinary record that may never be broken.
Celtic’s Dominance of the Scottish Cup & League Cup
Celtic have won 53 Scottish championships. They have also won the Scottish Cup 41 times. This is more than twice as many as their nearest challengers, Rangers, who have 20 wins. Celtic won the fabled old trophy in 1892, just four years after the club formed. Recent Scottish Cup successes, like the triumph in 2019, are part of Celtic’s notable achievements under manager Neil Lennon. The Celts won four consecutive domestic treble seasons from 2016 to 2020. Celtic has won an incredible 21 Scottish League Cup finals.
Other Victories
They won more than just Scottish silverware. Their early successes also reached England. They won the Sheriff of London Charity Shield in 1907. Unofficial regional leagues also went Celtic’s way. This was from 1915 to 1919, when World War One disrupted regular league schedules.
Celtic Odds for New Title This Season
Celtic is leading the Scottish Premiership table for the 2023/24 season. Rangers, our closest competitors, are five points behind with a game in hand. It looks like Celtic is on track to win their 54th championship in May 2024. Top bookmakers are offering the best soccer odds on who will win more domestic titles.
Memorable Celtic’s Seasons
Celtic fans have enjoyed many trophy celebrations over the years. But some truly exceptional championship-winning seasons stand out:
- 1966/67: Captain Billy McNeill led the miraculous Lisbon Lions. The Celts won all five major entered competitions. They claimed 9 league titles in a row, including knockout cups and the Glasgow Cup. The Hoops also won the glittering European Cup in Jock Stein’s first season as coach.
- 2000/01: Martin O’Neill guided Celtic to an emotional domestic treble. He took control back from rivals Rangers. They had tied Celtic’s record 9-in-a-row streak just 12 months earlier. Preventing the Gers from claiming 10 straight Scottish titles made this treble success even sweeter.
- 2016/17: Celtic went undefeated in all 38 domestic matches. They sealed another scintillating treble in coach Brendan Rodgers’ record-breaking first season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Scottish league titles have Celtic won?
Celtic have amassed a world record 53 Scottish top-flight league championship wins.
When did Celtic win their first-ever trophy?
Celtic won their first piece of silverware in their infancy during May 1891 when they lifted the Glasgow Cup just 3 years after the club formed in 1888.
How many total trophies have Celtic won?
During 135 remarkable years, Celtic have had sustained excellence in the pursuit of silverware to make them one of world football’s most successful clubs.
