Belfast Celtic’s proud history still fondly remembered

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The Celtic Star

·1 Agustus 2024

Belfast Celtic’s proud history still fondly remembered

Belfast Celtic, a club who unfortunately were confined to history, but it’s a proud history that is still fondly remembered…

Belfast Celtic was a well known, well supported Irish side who were formed as Celtic in 1891. A side named after our own beloved football club even playing in similar green and white colours whilst their stadium was also known as Celtic Park.

Although ten years later in 1901 they would be known and referred to as ‘Belfast Celtic’ upon incorporation as a limited company. A title they would keep until they unfortunately withdrew from football competition in 1949.

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Belfast Celtic produced a lot of famous and talented players throughout the years including former Ireland captain Patrick O’Connell who has the distinction of being the first player from what is now the Republic of Ireland to play for and captain English giants Manchester United. None so more famous however than our very own legendary talented Charlie Tully who also turned out for the club before moving to Paradise.

Charlie Tully mural believed to be in Derry

Belfast Celtic was a successful club boasting 14 Irish titles, 8 Irish cups and numerous other honours before unfortunately stepping aside in 1949. They were well supported with the majority of their support unsurprisingly coming from Irish Nationalists and Catholics, but also surprisingly had the backing of some west Belfast Unionists and Protestants who accounted for ten percent of their fan base.

However with the well documented troubles in Ireland the football much like our own country’s couldn’t escape the politics that lingered off the park.

In Belfast though it was much worse than in Glasgow, and that trouble very often spilled onto the field, which was to cause the club its fair share of problems throughout the years.

In 1920 with the political violence in full flow the Irish football association fined and suspended the club following unsavoury incidents in the Irish cup semi final against Linfield, and as a result the club were forced to abandon their participation in the 1920/21 season, and it was Season 1924/25 before they rejoined the league set up.

When they returned they would win the league title, a title they would win on eight occasions before the Second World War broke out and put a halt to the football.

After the War they won a further title in 1947/48 before events off the field boiled to the surface once again and this time there was to be no coming back.

During a game with Linfield on Boxing Day 1948 tension spilled on to the field as Linfield supporters celebrated their side scoring a last minute equaliser, this in turn led to several Belfast Celtic players being attacked. With striker Jimmy Jones receiving a broken leg, while two of his fellow team mates were seriously hurt in the violent altercation.

The fall out form the game saw Linfield blame Celtic, even though it was clearly Linfield’s fault, and the Irish FA’s weak response led the club to come to the conclusion that they had no other option but to withdraw from the league at the end of the season.

They were true to their word and played their final ever league game against Cliftonville on the 21 April 1949. Celtic won 4-3 at Celtic Park and call time on a successful 58 year history.

They would tour America the following summer, and take part in a couple of friendlies throughout the 1950s, but Belfast Celtic were sadly confined to history.

Gone but never forgotten.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

@_forgottenfooty @belfast_celtic @celtic_society @BlogIrish @NorthernIreland @HistoryLOI @FootPolPodcast @footballandwar @paul_grech My da was at that match as a teenager in Windsor in 1948. When it was announced/rumoured at half time that a Linfield player had suffered a broken leg, the mood changed. "I felt I was in the presence of evil, I was terrified." That's what caused the riot.
– Selasa, 30 Juli 2024