Celtic on this Day – featuring six pre-Christmas Celtic victories for your pleasure including a very young James Forrest scoring eleven years ago…
21 December 2002
Celtic 2-0 Dundee. Martin O’Neill’s men returned to winning ways after a difficult two weeks for the club domestically. Celtic had been beaten at Ibrox 3-2, but had success on the continent three days later as despite losing to Celta Vigo at the Estadio Balaidos 2-1, the Hoops went through on away goals.
The result against Rangers was followed up by more disappointment in the league – dropping points to Killie at Rugby Park. On the match 22 years ago today, the visitors, Dundee, who had a decent side, passed up a number of key chances – including from the penalty spot but Caballero’s weak effort was saved by Rab Douglas. Hartson scored a spectacular overhead-kick and Henrik sealed an important three points.
21 December 2003
Motherwell 0-2 Celtic. Weirdly, a year on from Rab Douglas’ penalty save from Dundee’s Fabian Caballero, former Ross County manager Derek Adams’ was the big Celtic goalkeeper’s next victim from 12 yards. John Hartson’s early strike, and Alan Thompson’s exceptional free-kick which doubled Celtic’s advantage in the second-half meant the Hoops maintained their eight point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a routine victory at Fir Park.
21 December 2019
Celtic 2-1 Aberdeen. Neil Lennon’s men welcomed the Dons to Glasgow’s East End in relentless form. Christopher Jullien’s header and Odsonne Edouard’s winner sent Celtic five points clear – and secured a 10th straight league win heading into tricky domestic outings at St Mirren Park, and then theRangers at Paradise before the New Year. Sam Cosgrove was sent off for Aberdeen. In fairness to the English striker, it was a clean tackle on Kristoffer Ajer, but Alan Muir adjudged the tackle to be endangering the safety of the opponent. Cosgrove had now been sent off twice in a year against the Scottish Champions.
21 December 2013
Celtic 2-0 Hearts. Concerns had been growing around the attendances at Celtic Park during this period. They weren’t great but it had been understandable given there was no competition in the league. Neil Lennon’s go-to men of Kris Commons and James Forrest struck in the second half putting Celtic 10 points clear of Dundee United, who were the nearest challengers to the Hoops in the league. With no Champions League or Scottish League Cup final to look forward to in the second half of the 2013/2014 season, if truth be told, it petered out for Celtic. That ultimately reflects why attendances were so low.
21 December 2022
Celtic 2-1 Livingston. It was the Hoops’ first home match since the 12 November due to the winter World Cup being held in Qatar. An OG and Kyogo’s effort on the stroke of half-time secured Ange Postecoglou’s side’s 10th straight league victory. In scintillating form, not even Michael Beale’s rejuvenated Brazil-1970 Ibrox squad could stop Celtic from heading to back-to-back titles. It had been the best football the Hoops had been playing since the early days of the Rodgers’ era [first spell]. This was echoed by Livingston manager David Martindale post-match who said, “there’s not a player in that building that I think Ange has not improved.”
21 December 1907
Celtic 4-1 Kilmarnock. A gloomy midwinter day at Celtic Park and the Celtic supporters were as much “gloomed” as anyone else (as The Scottish Referee put it) when Kilmarnock scored first. But then Jimmy Quinn, Alec Bennett, Peter Somers and Davie Hamilton all score to give Celtic a 4-1 victory. Celtic are now third in the League behind Falkirk and Dundee.
Conor Spence
Celtic in the Thirties
