For 30 years the League Cup was our bogey tournament. Celtic won the trophy only three times during the 70s, 80s and 90s. We lost seven finals in the 1970s, winning only one that decade. That 1974 win is cherished especially this week for Dixie Deans’ hattrick in a 6-3 win over Hibernian. Dixie made history with his two cup final hattricks, while Joe Harper carved his name in the history books with his own League Cup Final hattrick for Hibs that day.
The 80s was a decade mostly of elimination before the final. A memorable 1982 win in the Hampden rain over Rangers was followed by two final loses to the same side that decade.
We waited 15 long years for our next League Cup victory. Wim Jansen’s immortal side beat Dundee United at Ibrox, heralding a pivotal season for Celtic. We endured two final defeats that decade, another loss to Rangers and that loss to Raith Rovers.
Celtic have been unequivocal top dogs this century and that shows in the League Cup winner stats, but it was the meek side assembled by John Barnes who won the trophy against Aberdeen under Kenny Dalglish in March 2000.
Martin O’Neill won the League Cup only once, during his first and treble winning 2000-01 season. He lost a final, again to Rangers, in controversial circumstances in 2003. Never question how bad things would be without VAR, kids. We have lost only two finals since, both under Neil Lennon: 2011 to Rangers and the following year to Kilmarnock.
Gordon Strachan won the League Cup twice: over Dunfermline in 2006, when the players wore No. 7 shorts, in memory of the Jimmy Johnstone, who died a few days before the final. Then in 2009, when extra-time goals from Darren O’Dea and Aiden McGeady beat Rangers.
Ronny Deila won the League Cup in his first season at Celtic in a 2015 final against Dundee United, before Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon delivered the Quadruple Treble, an achievement which still sets the tone in Scottish football. The 3-0 win over Aberdeen in 2016 was our 100th trophy and part of the Invincible Treble season. 2017 saw Celtic overcome Motherwell in a difficult final (their fans are still sore), while it was a Ryan Christie goal that beat Aberdeen in 2018.
The 2019 final deserves a moment’s reflection. That Celtic team were clearly at the end of the road and were battered by Newco on the day. But there is a culture of winning these days which is ingrained in the structure at Celtic Park. End of the road or not, Christopher Jullien scored the only goal of the game which saw Fraser Forster deliver one of the all-time great Celtic goalkeeper performances. Even a man advantage was insufficient for Newco.
Neil Lennon would deliver the fourth treble of the series before things fell apart the following year. The 2019-20 season has much in common with this term. This Celtic side is in need of rebuild, but you would be foolish to be bet against them winning any domestic trophy.
Who can forget that magic moment at Hampden when Kyogo lifted the ball over the Hibs keeper to give Celtic the lead and provide Ange Postecoglou with his first trophy in 2021? It was Kyogo who delivered the killer goal in the final a year later, ending Newco’s hopes of taking the trophy for the first time.
Brendan uncharacteristically saw his side eliminated from the League Cup at Kilmarnock on his return two years ago, but the trophy came back home last year, when an epic 3-3 draw with Newco was decided in Celtic’s favour after penalties.
Our incredible record of success in recent seasons has heightened the importance of all trophies, even the once-minor the League Cup. Celtic now cherish winning every trophy, every other club cherishes the prospect of winning any trophy. The League Cup has never mattered more.
Enjoy the day and best of luck to your team.
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Appologies meant LIONROARS67 on 14TH DECEMBER 2025 7:31 AM
Anti football we face today come on the Anti Establishment !!
https://youtu.be/oDzPBOoISvc?si=jozl4YgRCBHyLU5I
67′ – Quadrofenians
https://youtu.be/y7fplQY5JaI?si=sF66Je5gOQ2wCUzS
Lid Of Me Granny’s Bin
https://youtu.be/eNNjIqSwCDQ?si=s1V4L3L-xmYXBFSB
Haven’t a clue how people seem to think Nancy can’t inspire players 🤔
Who are these “people”??
Didn’t say he can’t inspire players…. 👍
We don’t need round pegs in square holes,play guys in their natural position, until we get guys in to suit his system, I would start Iheanacho, Bernardo and Donovan, not wingers as wing backs who can’t tackle and can’t track back,keep it simple.
Horrendous killings In Australia. Massive credit to brave guy who wrestled with and disarmed guy with gun.
eratic on 14th December 2025 12:31 pm
Didn’t say he can’t inspire players…. 👍
—
My pal did 😊
BBC SCOTLAND Has St.Mirren v Celtic……
Looks better like this Celtic v st.mirren.
Within the constraints of the players we have available:
Are we having more trouble scoring goals, or more trouble defending?
Your answer to that will determine whether you would prefer to play full backs as attackers when in possession, or wingers as full backs when defending. Or indeed, both. Or one of each (football needn’t be symmetrical).
And doubtless your answer will be influenced by the opposition.
Against Roma the sense is that defending was the weakest link, but against St Mirren I think we need to score goals and moreover score enough to remove luck, bad decisions and the weather from the outcome of the game.
Aberdeen provided the blueprint for winning a cup final against Celtic just a few months ago. I’m quite sure that hasn’t been lost on Stevie Robinson.
We’ve already had St Mirren take us to the brink in recent weeks, us needing a 25 yard screamer from CalMac in the 95th minute with what was just our second attempt on target in the entire match.
We’ve followed that up with single goal wins against Hibs and Dundee and a single goal scored in a 1-2 defeat by Hearts.
I’d say our imperative today is scoring goals.
I’d start Iheanacho with Balikwisha and Hatate behind him, Maeda left and Yang right.
Bernardo or Engels beside McGregor.
That leaves space for three more – Tierney, Scales and Trusty.
Balikwisha is a hunch based on no more than 15 minutes against Roma. You could also play McCowan in there if preferred.
If you replace Balikwisha with Donovan (or Ralston) to go 4 at the back you’ve got the standard Celtic 4-3-3, but I think Balikwisha will cause more problems for St Mirren than Donovan (or Ralston) will, and Donovan (or Ralston) doesn’t add specific defensive attributes that we are likely to need more than we need goals.
It’s not ideal, but we need to make do and mend what we’ve got.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is why I’m sitting here typing on a keyboard a couple of hours before kick off, rather than getting the players ready to perform. 😂
Hail Hail
Never mind the problems of winning the cup, poor Wilf must think he should consider building an Ark, atrocious weather for all three of his gams so far. Tailor made for agricultural play with long balls, set pieces and snotters.
Whoever qualifies for final first is named first
If the team comes out later and it contains the names of Nygren and Tounekti, alarm bells will be ringing for me.
Maeda in as left wing back, Iheanacho up front and Bernardo starting.
I’d keep KT in the side.
A back 3 containing Donovan leaves us exposed at set pieces.
3-0 Celtic
To work Celtic
To do what we do- win.
Do your best for us and each other
One Celtic,enjoy today Celts.
God bless all Celtic support
HH
Looking at the rain radar, there’s a fair chance that the rain will have blown through by kick off, and it might well remain dry for the rest of the day.
TBB
A well reasoned and laid out post
Its got me thinking
Agree – think scoring today is the more important
(Someone earlier suggested penalties and I can see more change of that happening after a 0-0 than a 3-3 for example)
Score early and often please!
I’m getting too old for excitement
Good afternoon CQN
Starting to get excited now.
Good luck to every Celtic leaning person inside Hampden today.
Positive vibes only Moriarty. Listening to Grateful Dead, Hendrix and Cream. Far out maaaan and gravy booby.👍
BRRB…
“Well, I woke up this mornin’
And I got myself a beer
The future’s uncertain
And the end is always near”
No sign of team??
Dexter – 3.30pm kick off so teams will be out by 2.30pm
BB- thanks. Thought was 3pm
Teams arrived at Hampden and
Tounekti is here.
I think they may be at the ground 😜😁😁💚,
Team will be up on official site at 2:15 and posted on social media soon afterwards…😉
Please, please no Nygren or Tounetki in XI
For me
KS
KT
LS
AT
CAL
REO
BER
ENG
DM
KI
HY
The Battered Bunnet on 14th December 2025 1:20 pm
Within the constraints of the players we have available:
L
Are we having more trouble scoring goals, or more trouble defending?
___
Good point on the horses for courses. Surely a cert that Bernardo and Iheanacho start.
Just think, if we win today we will be the only team who can win the treble, nice,eh
2 –0 the good guys
kingLUBO
WBC 1.51
Them ole Roadhouse Blues. 👍
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Tierney, Scales, Trusty, Ralston, McGregor (C), Engels, Hatate, Tounekti, Maeda, Iheanacho
Subs: Sinisalo, Nygren, Balikwisha, Yang, McCowan, Kenny, Bernardo, Forrest, Donovan
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Tierney, Scales, Trusty, Ralston, McGregor (C), Engels, Hatate, Tounekti, Maeda, Iheanacho
Subs: Sinisalo, Nygren, Balikwisha, Yang, McCowan, Kenny, Bernardo, Forrest, Donovan
The Battered Bunnet on 14th December 2025 1:32 pm
Looking at the rain radar, there’s a fair chance that the rain will have blown through by kick off, and it might well remain dry for the rest of the day.
_____
👍I’m a weather man sado too. Just checked the weather channel radar and it agrees with you. Not sure about the wind, BBC says it’s getting worse, but their rain forecast disagrees with weather channel 😎
Teams up
Ralston and Tounetki start
Maestro on 14th December 2025 2:16 pm
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Tierney, Scales, Trusty, Ralston, McGregor (C), Engels, Hatate, Tounekti, Maeda, Iheanacho
Subs: Sinisalo, Nygren, Balikwisha, Yang, McCowan, Kenny, Bernardo, Forrest, Donovan
____
That’s either a back 4 or Ralston or Tierney as wingback
Looks like we’ve gone back to 4-3-3.
While St Mirren would have assumed Nancy would have stuck with his preferred formation and planned accordingly.
In reality, they’re defending deep and hitting long balls. Their tactics will remain the same.