Celtic accomplished something special on Saturday. After a dominant win away to St Johnstone, Brendan Rodgers’ side have bested a British record that has stood for over 100 years. They’ve now gone 63 matches unbeaten in domestic competition, breaking the 62-match streak that another Celtic team, under the legendary Willie Maley, achieved in 1917.
The run is so long that it actually stretches beyond Rodgers’ management of the club, with the first game coming in Ronny Deila’s last game as boss at Celtic Park in May of 2016.
Along the way there have been enormous highs, trophy wins, and outstanding player performances all adding up to one of the best times in history to be a Hoops fans
These are the 15 stunning moments that define the legendary and historic unbeaten run…
1. Jack Aitchison becomes the youngest ever Celtic scorer – 15/05/2016
Brendan Rodgers gets all the credit for the unbeaten run, and rightly so, but it all started on the last day of the 2015/16 season when a departing Ronny Deila left Celtic supporters with a fantastic present on trophy day against Motherwell.
Despite the strength of Rodgers’ side in the months to come, this was also the single biggest win of the entire 63 matches with the Hoops running out 7-0 winners against the Steelmen.
It was a magical day and was made even more special by the impact of young Jack Aitchison. Making his Celtic debut at 16 years and 71 days old, he was the club’s youngest ever player and became its youngest ever goalscorer too after finding the net.
Nobody yet knew the side would be embarking on a special new era, but it wasn’t long until Brendan Rodgers put his mark on the Scottish scene with the bulk of the first eleven that played under Deila.
2. Scott Sinclair gets the Brendan Rodgers era underway – 07/08/2016
Celtic’s first domestic match under Brendan Rodgers also proved to be one of their toughest, travelling away to Tynecastle to play a determined Hearts side that were on their way to a draw against the reigning champions.
However Scott Sinclair, who had completed his move to Glasgow just a day prior, came off the bench to tuck home a winner and celebrate wildly in front of a jubilant away Celtic support.
It was a dream debut for the man who would be one of the side’s top performers throughout the run, going on to score a sensational 25 goals in his first season at the club.
3. Leigh Griffiths scores a stunner as Celtic destroy Aberdeen – 27/08/2016
Celtic’s first big domestic test in the Brendan Rodgers era came in late August when Aberdeen, who had given Ronny Deila’s side a few problems, arrived at Celtic Park looking to send a message they would again be up for a title fight.
By the end of the 90 minutes though, there was no doubt that Celtic were still to dominant force in the top-flight, battering the Dons 4-1 with Leigh Griffiths scoring the pick of the bunch.
Picking the ball up from 25 yards out, he nutmegged Graeme Shinnie before lashing a fierce shot into the back of the net, hitting the post on the way in. There weren’t many better goals across the 63 games than this one.
Griffiths was still first choice in the Celtic team at this point and while he would go on to score 18 goals in all competitions, his days as Celtic’s number one striker were numbered…
4. Moussa Dembele announces his arrival against Rangers – 10/09/2016
Signing from Fulham in the summer of 2016, Celtic fans didn’t really know what to expect from Moussa Dembele. A fairly slow start to the season from the Frenchman meant that hopes had been pinned on Leigh Griffiths to be the club’s main striker again, he had just scored 40 goals the prior season after all.
It didn’t take too long for Dembele to make his mark though. Replacing an injured Griffiths for the visit of Rangers in September, the youngster became the first Celtic player in decades to net a hat-trick in the derby, sending Celtic Park into raptures during a 5-1 win that humiliated Mark Warburton’s much-hyped team.
It was a match that set the tone for the rest of the season and gave the Hoops a confidence that hadn’t been seen since the days of Martin O’Neill. This was when Celtic fans something special was happening under Brendan Rodgers.
5. Moussa Dembele does it on derby day again – 23/10/2016
Just over a month after the 5-1 demolition at Celtic Park, Celtic and Rangers met again at Hampden in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup and it was Moussa Dembele again who was the hero of the day.
Celtic had dominated the match but had failed to put away their chances in the manner of the 5-1 fixture and Rangers had held on to a 0-0 scoreline heading in the last five minutes of the match.
Dembele was not to be denied though and finished off Leigh Griffiths’ superb cross with the cheekiest back-heel flicks through the legs of the opposition keeper in the final minutes of the game.
It was a magical way to win any match, but in one of those importance was just further proof that Dembele had the potential to be one of the best strikers at the club since Henrik Larsson left.
Anyone at Hampden that day would put this goal right up there with the best moments from the entirety of 63 matches.
6. Celtic win their 100th major honour – 27/11/2016
Celtic would secure their first silverware of the season with a dominant performance over closest challengers Aberdeen at Hampden in November, the 100th major honour in the club’s long history.
While it represented a significant milestone in that context, it was just the beginning for Brendan Rodgers who you feel will go on to win many, many more as Hoops manager.
The 3-0 win was further proof that Celtic were at the peak of their powers with performers like Tom Rogic, who scored a wonderful opener to get them on their way, finally reaching their full potential after years of promise under Ronny Deila and Neil Lennon. The new Celtic boss was getting the most of out of not just his signings, but the players he inherited.
7. Tom Rogic wins the battle of Fir Park – 03/12/2016
Tom Rogic would go on to provide further proof of his importance to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic with a heroic last minute winner at Fir Park against Motherwell.
This was a match that proved to be one of the biggest threats to Celtic’s unbeaten run and if not for a spirited comeback performance we would not be speaking of Celtic’s history making team today.
Twice behind in the match, the Hoops headed into the final stage of the game 3-2 down before a Stuart Armstrong leveller and Rogic’s stunning strike from the edge of the box provided all three points.
After this one, Celtic fans started to believe their team would go the entire domestic season unbeaten and become invincible.
8. No respite for Rangers at Ibrox – 31/12/2016
While Rangers had been defeated twice by Celtic already in the opening months of the season, supporters of the Light Blues still believed they could do something against them in their own backyard when the Hoops came calling on New Years’ Eve. It was their last chance too, already far behind their points tally, defeat in this one would all but rule out any chance Mark Warburton’s team had of mounting a title challenge.
Going behind thanks to Kenny Miller, it was another match that required Celtic to dig deep to remain unbeaten and it was again Moussa Dembele who provided inspiration, netting an equaliser before Scott Sinclair scored the winning goal in the second half.
Celtic ended 2016 unbeaten in Scotland and many wondered just how much longer they could go on without slipping to defeat.
9. Moussa Dembele inspires another Celtic comeback – 05/02/17
St Johnstone provided the next big test to Celtic’s unbeaten run in early February. Finding themselves ahead 2-1 in the match, they must have been confident in securing a draw at least.
However, it was again Moussa Dembele who raised the Hoops to new heights, substituted on in the 60th minute before going on to score a half hour hat-trick that blew the Perth side away.
This was also the match that he finished off one of the finest team goals anywhere, a goal that was eventually nominated for the FIFA Best Goal award. With every member of the team touching the ball, including goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the ball found its way to the right flank where Mikael Lustig crossed in a rabona, which was back-heeled by Callum McGregor into the path of Dembele who finished calmly.
It was the type of goal only scored by the most confident teams around and despite being deep into an unbeaten run, the best was still to come from Brendan Rodgers’ side.
10. Moussa Dembele scores two hat-tricks in six days – 11/02/17
With the Scottish League Cup in the bag and the league title well on its way to being retained, Celtic turned their attention towards the Scottish Cup and a potential treble.
Playing Inverness Caledonian Thistle less than a week after his hat-trick exploits against St Johnstone, Moussa Dembele netted another, scoring three goals in a 6-0 thrashing of the Highlanders that proved to be the biggest victory of Brendan Rodgers’ time at the club so far.
By this point, Dembele had massive amounts of hype behind him, with many tipping him to be a player who could eventually be a hit in leagues beyond the Scottish Premiership.
It was scoring runs like this one that justified that hype and his status as the best player in Scotland.
11. Celtic make the title win official with a massive win vs Hearts – 02/04/17
Fittingly, Celtic completed their title bid at the venue where it all began under Brendan Rodgers; Tynecastle. Far from being the closely fought 2-1 victory of the opening day however, the champions elected stormed to a 5-0 victory, making their Scottish Premiership win official with over a month to spare.
Scott Sinclair was again the hero of Tynecastle, scoring a stunning hat-trick and really adding a bit of style to the occasion, which was celebrated on the pitch afterwards by Brendan Rodgers, his coaching staff and his players.
With the big trophy now in the bag, there was just one step left on the road to the treble, with the prospect of going an entire season unbeaten domestically now not just a fanciful notion.
12. Celtic destroy Pedro Caixinha’s Rangers at Ibrox – 29/04/17
Despite all the prior impressive performances, Celtic still had more to give and when they arrived at Ibrox in late April they managed to humiliate their arch-rivals in a manner that was unexpected, even for them.
Winning 5-1 at Celtic Park is one thing, but to do it at the home of Rangers is another completely and the second demolition derby of the season was arguably the highlight of the whole season for Celtic supporters.
That unsung heroes of the team like Callum McGregor and Mikael Lustig got on the scoresheet only made it all the sweeter.
It was arguably a result that ill-fated manager Pedro Caixinha never recovered from, losing credibility with supporters and putting pressure on him to make wholesale changes to the squad in the summer.
13. Tom Rogic wins the treble in stunning fashion – 27/05/17
Celtic’s magnificent 2016/17 season culminated at Hampden in May. Having beaten Rangers, St Mirren after besting Inverness CT 6-0, the Hoops would face off against Aberdeen one last time.
Derek McInnes’ side were desperate for a trophy and to deny Celtic an unbeaten season and gave Celtic a hell of a game, with the scoreline 1-1 heading into the final seconds of the game, extra-time and the lottery of penalties looming.
Tom Rogic though had other ideas. A player who has scored a fair few last minute efforts for Celtic, he took possession of the ball 40 yards from goal and surged into the Dons box on his own before slamming the ball inside the near post to send Hampden into scenes that are rarely witnessed. Supporters ended up three rows in either direction, keys and mobile phones were lost, pandemonium ensued.
Rogic ran towards the support, rain pouring, shirt stretched, celebrating a goal that ensured his status as a Celtic icon for eternity. He’s the man who delivered the treble and the unbeaten season with one strike.
14. New season, same dominance at Ibrox – 23/09/2017
Celtic were of course hot favourites to retain their league title during the summer break, but it was Rangers who showed the most ambitious in the transfer window, signing 11 players and eventually spending more money than the Hoops themselves.
There was a keen intrigue then when the reigning champions travelled to Ibrox for the first derby of the new season, with the prospect that Pedro Caixinha had actually managed to assemble a team capable of competing.
Brendan Rodgers’ men raised their game to the heights of last season though, easily beating Rangers in a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths. Despite the distractions of Europe, the Hoops laid down a marker that they were going to be as dominant as ever in this fixture, much to the delight of supporters.
15. Celtic provide the perfect performance at Pittodrie – 25/10/2017
With their status as Invincibles in the history books, hype around Celtic’s unbeaten run died down in the early stages of the new season, but as match after match has went by, they’ve gotten closer and closer to a British record that has stood for over 100 years.
Arriving at Pittodrie at the end of last month, many fancied that would be the game they finally came undone with Celtic’s focus on Europe and the fact Aberdeen had started the season so consistently making it a tricky one for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
However, they provided one of their most complete performances under Rodgers to date, storming to a 3-0 win and looking so imperious throughout the 90 minutes.
It was the complete performance and perhaps the first proof that Celtic are as potent this season as last.