Top 100 Appearances for Celtic

Gee I wish I was on this list.

 

Try Alec McNair, who signed for Celtic in April 1904, aged 21, and made his debut in Sept 1904 - the very first season the Bhoys wore the Hoops. Just think of that. People not yet born, go all the way through school, working, able to legally have a pint or vote, married and maybe even kids of their own - and McNair was still part of the team!

Even future teammates who were not even born when he made his debut who were fully grown adults by the time he played his last game for the club, 21 years later in 1925.

Players such as Peter Shevlin (b.Nov 1905 debut Oct 1924), Peter Wilson (b Nov 1904 debut Feb 1924) or James Healy (b Sept 1904 debut Nov 1924) for example - all born after McNair made his debut and made their debut before he had kicked his last for the Hoops.

To put that into context, our most recent signing Hyeun-gyo Oh is 21 now. He would have to be here and stay a part of the first team squad until 2044 to match McNair's longevity and think of the number of players that make their debut as teenagers.

Over the course of that career, Celtic played between 40-48 games a season, incl Cups and replays (there was no Cup during the WWI years though, just the League and why just 38 games & 2 Glasgow Cup games in those years and the 48 games was just once). So he had to be keeping those standards up at a time when there were no subs at all, when it was a far more rough game, well into his 40's. Obviously didn't play every single match in all that time but did still playi 716 competitive games (Not including 'tour games' - friendlies played on post-season tours of Europe) and would've no doubt missed out on at least a few deep Cup runs through those war years as well, considering how dominant Celtic were at the time in the League) and was still good enough to be playing for Scotland at age 38 in 1921.

 

There was also the Glasgow Charity Cup matches. That competition at the time was considered a major competition.

 

Even if CalMac plays the remaining 19 possible matches available this season he still won’t be in top 30 in the list and he wouldn’t get in top 20 until part way through 2024/25 season.

 

After today if CalMac plays in the cup final against the scum he will equal Tom Boyd and Murdo MacLeod on 405 appearances.

 

CalMac now equal with Tom Boyd and Murdo MacLeod on 405 appearances.
Needs another 20 matches to overtake next Celtic player in list, John Hughes who is on 424

 

Do we have a thread of most successful celts? Forrest surely up there now with most trophies won

 

No. Maybe you could start it.

 

The problem is where do you get the stats. With James Forrest wiki has him with 20, transfer market has him on 23 due to adding theast 2 league cups where he played and scored in both but didn't make the squad for the final and 19/20 Cup where he played 2 but again wasn't in the final squad. I think cups kind of make it difficult really.

 

My knowledge of player stats would stretch back about 25 years would be the shortest list ever hahah!

 

I can’t believe the club don’t have an official history or at least stat section on the website. Surely within the club there is the capacity for it and it’s not as if it would be costly. Never ever trust wiki for stats as anyone can edit it can’t they. Flash scores is good but only show so much; and also only after a certain year

 

Won a trophy every 23 games over the course of 14 years. Insane.

 

I suppose I could do the list although unsure if the players were all awarded title medals as don’t know if they had to play certain amount of matches every season since Celtic were founded

 

There’s a top ten that comes out every now and again and everytime it’s different figures for them, it’s usually either Lennox or McNeill credited for the most.

 

It’s weird that Celtic won 13 trophies including 2 league titles and 2 Scottish cups before even having a manager.
Also included 4 Glasgow Cups and achieved 5 IAR Glasgow Charity Cups

 

I will do the list and will include the following comps:
Scottish Premiership and equivalent competitions
Scottish Cup
Scottish League Cup
European Cup
Glasgow Cup
Glasgow Charity Cup
Empire Exhibition Cup 1938
Coronation Cup 1953

It will probably take until at least into next season due to having to go through every Celtic player ever.
For the cup competitions I will include players who played even 1 match whether they played in final or not after all they contributed to Celtic getting to the final
Same for the league matches

 

Hibs fans have never forgave us stealing aw their players back then

 

Legend mate, I love * like that, and do not have the patience man

 

It helps that I have the stats book up until 2013 and easy to find the records after that.
It should also be easier due to having to go through the seasons we won.
If we didn’t win the league that season then that cuts out a lot of searching. As for league cup it only counts from the late 50s

 

I’ll need to find where to get one of them, if there’s a more up to date one. I love the stat stuff, and how you can either look at them and it backs up what you think in your own biases or can prove you majorly wrong and something to think on.