BATTLE OF THE HOOPS – PART 3
Tomorrow afternoon, Celtic take on Buckie Thistle in a battle of the hoops. As earlier reported, Celtic have previously faced The Jags and other teams that also wear the same famous style of top.
But the Bhoys have also played different sides that do not usually wear green-and-white hoops, but have had them at some stage. Perhaps the most obvious of these is Hibernian, a team Celtic have faced numerous times across the years.
The Edinburgh side are obviously older than Celtic, and wear all-green tops. Their first jersey was all-white, and then in the late-1870s they switched to hoops, before adopting their modern style.
One modern example is Yeovil Town. The Somerset side have had green in their shirts going back to the 1890s, including when they beat Celtic 2-0 in a 1950 friendly.
From 2003 until 2020, they played in green-and-white hoops. This was inspired by Celtic’s run to the UEFA Cup Final, with their chairman saying he hoped that Celtic’s “success rubs off on us.”
London side QPR are well-known for wearing hoops, but in this case, it involves blue rather than green. However, from the 1890s until the 1920s, they wore green hoops, something they have replicated in more recent times for an away shirt.
Celtic have met QPR at different times in friendly matches, including a 5-1 win for the Bhoys at Loftus Road in 2007.
Perhaps the team that Celtic would least like to think of as replicating their famous tops is Rapid Vienna. The Austrian team wore all-green shirts when meeting Celtic in the 1984 Cup-Winners’ Cup, a tie that ended in huge controversy. They have also had green-and-white hoops, including in the early-1980s and mid-2000s.
Celtic have faced multiple other clubs that have briefly wore green-and-white hoops, whether as a home or away jersey. This includes Greuthur Furth, Jabolonec, Ferencvaros, Merthyr Tydfil and Sheffield Wednesday.
Real Betis are another example, with a strong Celtic connection. The Spanish team famously wear green-and-white stripes although have had hooped tops too.
In fact, their colours were inspired by Celtic. One of the Seville side’s founders had lived in Scotland where he became a Celtic fan, and so this played a part in the choice of colours for the new Real Betis.
A less well-known hooped team that Celtic have faced is St Gallen. The Swiss side currently wear an all-green shirt, however at different times have had green-and-white hoops. The Bhoys drew 0-0 with them in a 2019 friendly.
In addition to all these teams, numerous others have had green-and-white hoops, although they have not faced Celtic. Examples of this are Panathanaikos, Santos Laguna, Bloemfontein Celtic, Eriskay and Catholic United (the childhood team of Cameron Carter-Vickers).
The latter team have hoops because of a 1968 gift from the Bhoys. The English team wrote to Celtic chairman Robert Kelly asking if he could provide them strips to wear in a cup final, and the subsequent donation ensured they would forever remain hoops wearers.
Obviously in tomorrow’s game, the Hoops are going to win. Just as long as there are no shocks and it’s the Glasgow wearers who make the next round of the Scottish Cup!
READ THIS…Hail Hail History – Take a Celtic Walk on the Southside
Matthew Marr – @hailhailhistory
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I remember a pub in Great Western Road, had a framed knock off Celtic jersey on the gantry. Except these particular hoops were blue and white. As was the badge.
Hail Hail.
What about Shamrock Rovers in the league of Ireland ???