Celtic's 63 domestic game unbeaten record run in numbers

Celtic's own British record for unbeaten domestic games stood for 100 years until Brendan Rodgers' side went one better by stretching their run to 63 matches.
Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig WilliamsonCeltic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson
Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

Saturday’s 4-0 victory at St Johnstone was a clinical way of achieving the landmark.

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The previous record was set by Willie Maley’s side during the First World War, during a time when only league football was played.

Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig WilliamsonCeltic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson
Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

Between 1914 and 1917, internationals and the Scottish Cup were put on hold while the League Cup did not emerge until after the Second World War.

During that time, Celtic won the league four times in a row and instrumental in that success was a unbeaten run of 62 matches between November 1915 and April 1917.

It was a 2-0 home win over Kilmarnock in front of 4,000 fans, thanks to goals by Joe Dodds and James McColl, which set the Parkhead club on their way. The run was halted with a 2-0 defeat, coincidentally at the hands of Kilmarnock, at Celtic Park, Glasgow.

Remarkably, Celtic played twice in one day during that sequence.

Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig WilliamsonCeltic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson
Celtic's Scott Brown and manager Brendan Rodgers celebrate their new unbeaten record. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

On April 15, 1916, Celtic beat Raith Rovers 6-0 at Parkhead to take the title and take their goal total to 104 in 34 matches, beating Falkirk’s 103 goals in 34 matches record set in season 1907/1908.

Later in the day the Hoops travelled to Lanarkshire to beat Motherwell 3-1 at Fir Park.

Maley’s side won 49 matches during their record-breaking run, drawing 13, scoring 126 goals and conceding just 16.

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The captain was James ‘Sunny Jim’ Young and other notable players included Patsy Gallacher and Jimmy McMenemy, left winger Johnny Browning, right winger Andy McAtee and goalkeeper Charlie Shaw.

40 - The number of players Celtic have used since the run started in May 2016.

1 - Logan Bailly, Jamie McCart and Stefan Johansen featured in just one game of the record-breaking run.

59 - Craig Gordon made the most appearances.

15 - Skipper Scott Brown has received 15 yellow cards during the run.

6 - Half-a-dozen players - Gordon, Mikael Lustig, Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair - have featured in at least 50 games.

56 - The number of wins Celtic have accumulated during the 18-month run.

183 - The number of goals Celtic have scored. They have conceded 35.

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7 - The number of players who scored in the first game of the run, a 7-0 thrashing of Motherwell in Ronny Deila’s final match in charge.

33 - Number of goals scored by Moussa Dembele against Scottish teams during the run.

16 - The age of the youngest player to feature. Jack Aitchison was 16 years and 67 days old when he made a goalscoring debut against Motherwell in game one of the streak.