Belfast Celtic F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Belfast Celtic F.C.


fullname = Belfast Celtic Football Club
nickname = "The Celts
founded = 1891
dissolved = 1949
ground = Celtic Park
Belfast
capacity =
league = Irish League
pattern_la1=_white_hoops|pattern_b1=_whitehoops|pattern_ra1=_white_hoops
leftarm1=008000|body1=008000|rightarm1=008000|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF|

Belfast Celtic Football Club was a former Irish football club that was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until they felt they had to withdraw from the Irish League in 1949 having suffered continuously at the hands of loyalist/unionist sectarian bigots throughout the club's short history.

The club was named after Celtic F.C. and was founded on the same principle of raising community spirit and money for charity. Their home was Celtic Park on the Donegall Road in West Belfast, known to the fans as "Paradise". Celtic won their first league title in 1900 after beating fierce rivals Linfield by a single goal. The team was affectionately referred to as "The Mighty" Belfast Celtic by its support.

The political violence that engulfed Ireland in the 1920s spilled on to the terraces of the Irish League and Celtic was forced to withdraw in 1920, not rejoining until 1924. Celtic's support base was all-inclusive and non-discriminatory, unlike other clubs, but the majority of supporters were strongly Irish Nationalist in outlook.

Despite this, the club went from strength to strength and the inter-war years proved to be Celtic's strongest: they were league champions four years running after their return. The club also produced some of the greatest players of their generation and at one stage had five international goalkeepers in their squad. The famous Charlie Tully, a legend at Celtic F.C., learned how to kick a ball with Belfast Celtic.

The end came on Boxing Day 1948 at the annual Linfield-Celtic game at Windsor Park. Celtic were winning for most of the match but Linfield equalised in the last minute. Linfield fans invaded the pitch and attacked several Celtic players including Jones who suffered a broken leg.

The Celtic board felt that the attack had shown that the police were unable to protect Celtic fans and players and the feeble sanctions imposed on Linfield by the League prompted Celtic to withdraw again until they felt that the safety of their supporters could be assured. After the 1948/49 season "The Mighty" Belfast Celtic would never again play a competitive match but played several friendlies including an historic victory over Scotland in the United States in 1949 and a match at home to Celtic F. C. on May 17 1952. A final match was played away to Coleraine on June 24 1960.

Paradise continued to function as a greyhound stadium until the 1980s when it was bulldozed and replaced by The Park Centre, a small shopping mall. Today, a small plaque reminds shoppers of the glory days.

West Belfast was left without a major football team until the formation of Donegal Celtic in 1970.

Honours

enior honours

*Irish League: 19
**1899/00, 1914/15, 1918/19, 1919/20, 1925/26, 1926/27, 1927/28, 1928/29, 1932/33, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1938/39, 1939/40, 1940/41, 1941/42, 1943/44, 1946/47, 1947/48
*Irish Cup: 8
**1917/18, 1925/26, 1936/37, 1937/38, 1940/41, 1942/43, 1943/44, 1946/47
*City Cup: 8
**1925/26, 1927/28, 1929/30, 1930/31, 1932/33, 1939/40, 1947/48, 1948/49
*Gold Cup: 10
**1911/12, 1925/26, 1934/35, 1938/39, 1939/40, 1940/41, 1943/44, 1944/45, 1945/46, 1946/47
*County Antrim Shield: 7
**1894/95, 1926/27, 1935/36, 1936/37, 1938/39, 1942/43, 1944/45
*Inter-city Cup: 1
**1947/48 (shared)

Intermediate honours

*Irish Intermediate Cup: 5
**1914/15†, 1936/36†, 1936/37†, 1937/38†, 1940/41†
*Steel & Sons Cup: 5
**1912/13†, 1916/17†, 1917/18†, 1934/35†, 1935/36†

† Won by Belfast Celtic II

elected Former Players

"See also cl|Belfast Celtic F.C. players"

elected Former Managers

* Elisha Scott: 1934-1949

Further reading

*Mark Tuohy, "Belast Celtic", 1978 ISBN 0-85640-139-0

External links

* [http://www.belfastceltic.org The Grand Old Team]
* [http://www.belfastceltic.org/brochure.pdf#search='belfast%20celtic' The Belfast Celtic Society]
* [http://www.thewildgeese.com/pages/belfcelt.html 1948: Celts Mugged on Boxing Day]
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1840184515 Paradise Lost and Found]