If 24 hours in football is a long-time then five years must feel like an eternity, but that’s the landmark The Celtic Star has reached today.
Five years of reporting on all things Celtic, five years of historical features, championing Celtic FC Women, alongside the wonderful supporter away day diaries – one of which spawned perhaps the best Celtic Star article of them all, written by Matt Corr – and five years of celebrating Celtic, alongside defending the club amongst the midst of many who would wish to do us harm – any my word there has been plenty wishing us just that.
The Celtic Star Editor would certainly not wish to blow his own trumpet and pen anything to mark five years working daily on a website that has grown year on year to be one of the best read and most respected outlets for all things Celtic, and always speaks with our club’s interest at heart.
Yet this is a site that has grown from strength to strength since 7 February 2018 and is one that we all hope will continue to do so, encouraging debate, informing without lecturing, and most of all offering those who read The Celtic Star an alternative to the mainstream Scottish media, who shall we say don’t always have the best interests of Celtic at heart.
You may not always agree with everything that is written on The Celtic Star, but you can be assured every word typed has had the best interests of the club at heart.
And as the site has grown so too has the output.
Now, The Celtic Star is firmly established as a prominent Celtic publisher, spawning books from talented historians, such as the incredibly prolific and wonderfully knowledgeable David Potter (‘Alec McNair – Celtic’s icicle’, ‘Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style’, and ‘The Celtic Rising’), the brilliant Matt Corr, he of ‘Invincible’ fame – a book purchased in multiple copies by the family of the architect of that incredible season – and someone who has earned a reputation for incredible research – as we saw with the publication of ‘Harry Hood Twice as Good’ – so laden with detail that Royal Mail had to set up a health and safety reminder session when it came to lifting heavy weights!
And of course, Liam Kelly – a new kid on the block at one stage, but now and established and trusted commentator on Celtic’s rich history in his own well-earned right, as he showed alongside Matt Corr and David Potter for ‘Walfrid and the Bould Bhoys’, which sold out entirely, and was – On Friday 18 December 2020 – recognised by The Scotsman newspaper alongside a list of 16 books, which they ranked as the best sporting reads of 2020.
Those publications ranged from books about the great boxer Muhammad Ali to Ken Scotland of Rugby fame. And keeping company with these great publications was The Celtic Star’s very own book – Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys: Celtic’s Founding Fathers, First Season & Early Stars, perhaps showing just why, in the opinion of your writer, it is possibly one of the most impressive historical Celtic books ever published.
Writers such as Sandman with his wonderfully funny Definitive Ratings after each Celtic match, and the likes of Mike Maher, Conall McGinty, Paul Gillespie, Lubo98, Eddie Murray, Lisbon Lion Jim Craig, Larry Cafiero and many others have all added to the Celtic story as told daily on The Celtic
And for those in the world of Celtic fan media who now enjoy access to the press conferences of their Celtic heroes and of course the Celtic manager, the work behind the scenes of the Celtic Star Editor went a long, long way to making what seemed a pipe-dream a reality.
In some senses five years seems like five minutes in passing, at other times like fifteen years, but it is rarely dull covering Celtic. And at The Celtic Star, we’ll raise a wee glass to the first five years, while at the same time planning ahead for the next five. We don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
And it’s important to thank everyone who has read their Celtic content on The Celtic Star, to all those who have commented on or have contributed with articles to the site, and of course those who have, and continue to, put in the long hours of research, writing and editing that goes into every book published to date.
The most read article over those five years was one defending Celtic by going on the offensive using well sourced yet highly controversial information that helped put the dampeners on the momentum to turn the 2019/2020 into a null and void contest.
Happy 5th Birthday to The Celtic Star, we hope you’ve enjoyed reading it all as much as we have enjoyed creating it.
Niall J
If you would like to contribute to The Celtic Star then please get in touch. Simply sent an email to editor@thecelticstar.co.uk and we’ll get straight back to you. If you’d like to share any thoughts on the site we’d love to hear from you with any constructive criticism, ways we can make the site even better or any other ideas or suggestions that you may have, Hail, Hail and here’s to the next five years…
Happy anniversary bhoys and ghirls. Hail Hail. 🍀🇮🇪
Been reading all your content and stories over the last few years and thoroughly enjoyed all of it been a celtic supporter for 60 years and season ticket holder for many years keep up the great work
Congrats on an EPIC 5 years.
My personal favourite feature is that glorious bullshit the Sandman writes.
If he wasn’t so modest and humble and devoted to publishing it only on the Celtic Star I’ve no doubt a Pulitzer prize or two would be in the trophy cabinet.
Okay, note to Ed: how do I submit this anonymously?