This may have seemed to settle the game, but Rangers had other ideas. Within five minutes, the Ibrox team’s John Robertson had halved the deficit. It was expected to be game-on for the final quarter; instead, it became scrappy, with Celtic being warned by the referee for timewasting.
Celtic Champions 1905. Photo The Celtic Wiki
Rangers’ job became even harder when they went down to ten men owing to injury, and they struggled to create any outright chances. By the time the 90th minute arrived, no further goals had been scored. The final whistle ensured that the Celts were the League champions, for the first time in the 20th century.
After the playoff match, the Daily Record’s headline read “Celtic win the rubber”, referring to the Bhoys’ victory following a tie on points. This created another ‘Old Firm’ draw as both teams had now won the title on five occasions. This was not a stalemate that would remain for long.
The 1905 League win had a momentous outcome for Celtic; it started them on the road of setting a then world record, and also a Scottish record that stood for decades, until the Hoops themselves surpassed it.
Following their 1905 success, Celtic retained the championship flag in 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909 and 1910. This six-in-a-row run was a then world record, and acknowledged by the Scottish League with the presentation of a special shield.
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