Celtic Facts

• Belfast Celtic was formed as an imitation of Glasgow Celtic. The teams would play against each other on a regular basis, with Belfast Celtic's ground also called Celtic Park and 'Paradise'.
  Belfast Celtic presented one of the best away strips ever to be worn by Celtic, a white strip, with a green collar and a green shamrock as the crest.
  Unfortunately in 1949, they were forced to withdraw from football altogether, due to sectarian elements. They did give Celtic one last gift though, a certain man called Charlie Tully.

• Following the demise of Belfast Celtic, the support turned it attention to Glasgow Celtic. This support remains solid to this day, with over five and a half thousand season ticket holders, who travel to Celtic Park from the Emerald Isle.

• Shamrock Rovers in Dublin were formed following the impression made by Belfast Celtic.

• Real Betis in Spain were green and white vertical stripes. This came around when an official of the Spanish club visited Celtic Park and was so impressed; he took home a set of jerseys back to Seville. It just so happens that Celtic wore the hoops for the first time, the year after.

• The first team to wear the hoops were a junior outfit called St.Anthony's who resided straight across from Ibrox Park!

• Celtic first crest, was the Celtic Cross, as was seen on the first strip. However advertisements of Celtic in the early years, showed a harp against a blue background. The team also wore a strip with a large shamrock as the badge in the fifties, then the strips were without a crest until the late seventies, when the four leaf clover became the emblem, which is still used to present day. The Celtic Cross did make an appearance again in the centenary year and in 2003, to celebrate 100 years of the hoops.

• Why are Celtic called the Bhoys? is a question often asked.The first it appeared was on a postcard from the turn of the century which refers to the Celtic team of the time as "the bould bhoys".
  Bhoys however was a common American slang term for Irish immigrants at least as far back as the late 1840s, so the parrells can be drawn from this.

• In the European Cup semi-final at Elland Road, Celtic were faced with the choice of wearing blue socks or orange! They chose orange. Celtic also worn orange socks in an Anglo-Scottish Cup tie against Burnley, during Billy McNeill's first era.

• World famous Irish folk group 'The Wolfetones' have written two songs about Celtic. The first has become a great favourite with the Celtic fans. Called the 'Celtic Symphony', the video for it was actually recorded inside Celtic Park. The second song named 'Broken Dreams' is more emotional, delving into the darker side of Glasgow and the tragedy that playing for or supporting Celtic can bring.
  
  
• The triumphant European Cup winning side of 1967, were lead around Celtic Park by the local Ancient Order of Hibernian band.

• Celtic strips were famous not only for the 'hoops' but also for the fact they always had the number on the shorts. They tradition unfortunately ended when regulations in the 1990's, forced the club to install numbers on the back of the shirts.
  
  
• Also due to SFA regulations, the corner flags which had shamrock on a white background were removed and replaced with standard ones.