On Sunday, the Celts celebrated their latest penalty shootout win. A 5-4 win versus theRangers brought the Premier Sports League Cup back to Celtic Park. But what is Celtic’s overall penalty shootout record?
Before penalties, football had different ways of settling tied games. In the earliest days, it was replays, which could go on for some time. The 1909 Scottish Cup Final was abandoned because Celtic and Rangers fans rioted due there being yet another draw.
Other methods of settling were tried too. Celtic have won and lost based on coin tosses, or the number of corner kicks awarded. Some competitions drew lots, or counted the number of bookings given.
Penalty shootouts were formally introduced to football in 1970. Clubs had complained that methods such as coin tosses were not an appropriate way to decide football matches, a sentiment Celtic shared after winning a coin toss against Benfica in 1970 after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.
The new penalties were not introduced in time for that year’s World Cup, but did come in from the 1970-71 season. In European competition, Aberdeen were involved in the first penalty shootout. In September 1970, the Dons lost 4-5 to Honved in the Cup-Winners’ Cup.
Celtic’s first penalty shootout came in the 1971-72 season, and did not end well. Playing in the European Cup semi-final, Celtic faced Inter Milan, drawing 0-0 in Glasgow and Milan. Despite the second leg being at Celtic Park, Celtic lost the shootout 4-5.
Dixie Deans entered Celtic’s history books as the first player to miss a penalty in a shootout. Unfortunately, for him it proved to be the decisive one, which led to Celtic’s European exit.
Celtic’s first victory in a penalty shootout came versus Rangers. In the 1974 Drybrough Cup Final (a 1970s pre-season tournament), Celtic and Rangers drew 2-2 at Hampden. The Bhoys then won 4-2 on penalties.
This was a remarkable season for Celtic in terms of Hampden finals. The Bhoys won the Drybrough Cup, League Cup and Scottish Cup, as well as drawing in the Glasgow Cup Final. Paul Wilson achieved the unique feat of scoring in all four finals.
The Drybrough Cup was a short-lived tournament, not open to all clubs. In terms of official competitions, Celtic’s first penalty victory came in 1986. This came after a 4-4 League Cup draw at Easter Road with Hibs in the League Cup in 1985 with Hibs winning the penalty shoot-out 4-2.
Playing in September in the League Cup, Celtic had a very hard fought 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. After this, the Bhoys went through to the next round with a 4-2 penalties win. In fact, Celtic then beat Motherwell on penalties in the semi-final, although lost the final to Rangers.
English clubs were banned from Europe in the 1980s because of the Heysel stadium disaster in 1985. Instead of this, a competition called the Dubai Cup was set up, bringing together the English and Scottish champions.
Celtic twice faced Liverpool in these games and both times the matches were settled by penalty kicks. The first of these – in 1986 – saw a 1-1 draw with Celtic then losing on penalties. This was reversed in 1989; the Bhoys and Anfield men again drew 1-1 before Celtic this time won 4-2.
In official competitions, the first Celtic final to be decided by penalties came in 1990. This was also the first ever Scottish Cup Final to be settled in this way. Unfortunately for the Bhoys, it was not a happy day. After a 0-0 draw in normal and extra time, Celtic 9-8 on penalties.
In fact, losing finals on penalty kicks was a 1990s habit for Celtic. As well as Aberdeen, Celtic lost the 1994 League Cup Final to Raith Rovers. A 2-2 draw after 120 minutes ended in a 5-6 penalty loss for Celtic, Paul McStay being the unfortunate man for the Bhoys.
Celtic’s bad luck when taking final penalties was replicated in their European experiences; it took them until their third attempt to win a European penalty shootout.
Celtic had lost to Inter Milan in 1972 and in 2001, the Bhoys exited the UEFA Cup after losing 4-5 Valencia. In 2007, it was a much better day. After a 2-2 aggregate draw with Spartak Moscow in a Champions League qualifier, the Bhoys won 4-3 on penalties.
Arguably, Celtic’s most dramatic penalty shootout came in 2009. Playing versus Dundee United in the League Cup, Celtic eventually won 11-10 on penalties. There were a remarkable 24 kicks taken in the marathon shootout, including both goalkeepers!
As a point of interest, Celtic’s goalkeeper Artur Boruc scored a great penalty, and Lukas Zaluska – who later signed for Celtic – did the same. In fact, the man who missed the decisive penalty for United was Willo Flood, who also went on to play for the Bhoys.
Finals and penalties were never a great combination for Celtic, but that has changed in recent times. The first time the Bhoys celebrated a final penalty shootout was 2020.
As COVID locked down the country, the 2019-20 Scottish Cup Final was delayed until December 2020, although fans still could not attend. Celtic drew an exciting game 3-3 with Hearts, and then won 4-3 on penalties to seal a Quadruple Treble.
The first time Celtic had a penalty shootout with the new Rangers was in 2016. Celtic lost 4-5 in the Scottish Cup semi, and ultimately this signalled the end of Ronny Deila’s time as Celtic manager.
However, it may be worth asking who really lost that match with the Ibrox men. The defeat led to the Bhoys appointing Brendan Rodgers – who went on to win an Invincibles Treble in his first season, whilst Hibs defeated Rangers 3-2 in a tremendously exciting Scottish Cup Final.
In total, Celtic’s men’s first team has been involved in 20 penalty shootouts, winning 11 and losing nine of these. If only counting official competitions (excluding the Drybrough Cup and Dubai Cup), the record reads eight wins and nine losses.
Celtic’s worst run on penalties came in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Bhoys lost four consecutive shootouts between 1990 and 2001, including two finals. It meant that they went 13 years without a penalties victory.
At present, Celtic are on their best ever run when it comes to taking penalties. They have won the past three shootouts; the 2020 Scottish Cup Final, 2024 Scottish Cup semi versus Aberdeen and, of course, the 2024 League Cup Final.
In fact, the League Cup has been the competition in which Celtic have most often taken part in penalty kicks. Of Celtic’s 17 penalty shootouts in official matches, 10 have been in this competition. There has been six Celtic wins and four losses in this time.
And the most important of these came last Sunday. Nerve wracking at times – but what a great day!
Matthew Marr
Follow Matthew on Twitter @hailhailhistory
Matthew’s debut Celtic book titled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ was published by Celtic Star Books last year and is available to order HERE. This brilliant book is also available on Amazon Kindle for just £3.49 and includes all photo sections that appear in the hardback edition.
