| Full name | Blantyre Celtic Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1914 (as Blantyre United) | |
| Dissolved | 1993 | |
| Ground | Craighead Park Blantyre | |
| League | Lanarkshire Junior League 1914–1928 Scottish Intermediate League 1928–1931 Central Junior League 1931–1988, 1991–92 | |
Blantyre Celtic Football Club was aScottishfootball clubBlantyre, South Lanarkshire which played under the auspices of theScottish Junior Football Association.
Formed in 1914 asBlantyre United,[1] the clun changed its name to Blantyre Celtic two years later. IIts local rival wasBlantyre Victoria, known locally as the Vics.[2] In many ways they were the poorer cousin, as they existed in a poorer area of the village and lacked the financial support that the Vics gained from having a large social club attached to their home ground.
The club reached the semi-finals of theScottish Junior Cup three times: (1923–24, 1937–38 and 1945–46) but lost on each occasion. The football side collapsed near the end of the 1992–93 season; the Celts could only muster 8 players for a Central League match atJohnstone Burgh in April, and rather than turning up, rang to withdraw from the fixture 20 minutes before kick-off, when the Burgh players were already on the pitch.[3] As this was the third time in the season the Celts had withdrawn from a fixture, the Central League suspended the club,[4] and at the end of the season, expunged the club's record (which stood at 7 points - all from draws - after 13 games),[5] and turned down an application to re-join for the 1993–94 season.[6] The Celtic social club continued;[7] the football debt was not settled until the sale of the club's ground in 1998.[8]
In 2010, the club reformed as an amateur team in the Blantyre area.[9]
Blantyre Celtic played in green and white hoops, identical to those of their namesakeCeltic.[10]
After spending 3 years at St Joseph's Church Hall, the club moved to Craighead Park,[11][12][13] which (between 1982 and 1986) as also used by theGlasgow Tigers speedway team as their home track.[14][15][16] The cost of purchase of the new ground was met by pitmen giving up a day's wages to contribute to the fund.[17]
1. Players that have played/managed in the top two divisions of the Scottish Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
55°47′33″N4°04′43″W / 55.792517°N 4.078640°W /55.792517; -4.078640
