The way that Celtic’s season has gone so far means that it’s still far from certain that the Bhoys will be lifting the league trophy. Winning our remaining five games should be enough to secure the title but there’s still an outside chance that we could still lose it on goal difference…
Anthony Ralston celebrates during Celtic’s 6-2 Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren at Hampden on Sunday 19 April 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
If both Celtic and Hearts win their next four games the final day showdown at Celic Park will see Celtic trailing Hearts by three points, so a Celtic victory would mean the title being decided on goal difference.That’s some Celtic should be mindful of starting this afternoon against Falkirk.
However, 45 years ago today (25 April 1981) was the first time that this happened for Celtic in an on-field presentation.
When the Scottish League first began in 1890, there was no trophy given to the winners of the competition. Instead, the title holders received a flag, a tradition which remains to this day. Thus, when Celtic won their first championship in 1893, their rewards were ‘badges’ (medals) for the players, and a flag for the club to be flown at Celtic Park.
Flag days in that era were very different from now. For one thing, they took place without fireworks and other displays, and sometimes they were not even held at Celtic games. For example, when the Bhoys won the 1896 title, the League flag was officially unveiled at a Scotland versus England game held at Celtic Park.
This practice of only flags and medals for the title winners continued until after World War Two. Then in October 1947, William MacAndrew – the long-term secretary of Scottish Football League – retired. Given his long-lasting role – he had held this position for just short of 50 years – there were notable tributes paid to him.
As a parting gift, MacAndrew decided to leave two mementos: specifically, trophies to be presented to the winners of League Division A and League Division B. The new cups were engraved with all the names of previous winners going back to the start of the two Leagues.
These gifts meant that the winners of Scotland’s football leagues would receive not simply a flag but also a trophy. As winners of the top league in 1948, Hibernian became the first team to receive the ‘A’ cup, whilst East Fife got the ‘B’ trophy.
Celtic’s Jock Weir, Charlie Tully, Johnny Bonnar, Alex Rollo and Bertie Peacock in training during the 1950s. Press cutting via The Celtic Wiki
It is fair to say that Celtic were nowhere near getting a trophy or a flag in that season’s title race. In fact, 1947-48 almost saw the Bhoys getting relegated, and they needed a last day win at Dens Park – with a hat-trick from Jock Weir – to guarantee their safety.
As a strange coincidence, when the Scottish Premier League was set up in 1998, the original Scottish League trophy became the prize given to winners of Scotland’s second tier. This change took place in the 1998-99 season. When this happened, the maiden First Division champions to get the trophy were again Hibernian!
1954 was title number 20 for the Bhoys. It was the first of what has so far been 36 occasions they have won the title and then received a trophy.
Celtic had won the 1938 league but it was 16 years before they were again Scottish champions. In season 1953-54, the Bhoys completed a League and Scottish Cup double, meaning they had two cups to mark their achievements.
However, it is fair to say that the League trophy was not something which yet ignited any real fan or club interest. Celtic won the title on 17 April, with a 3-0 win at Easter Road. A week later, they completed the double by beating Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final.
This was in the days this cup final did not bring the season to a close. So two days after this, the Bhoys welcomed Hamilton to Celtic Park for a league match. Before the game there were celebrations as the Scottish Cup was displayed, but not the League trophy.
An old newspaper advert for a football special train service in 1954
In September of that year, there was a gala event held at St Andrew’s Halls in Glasgow, near the Mitchell Library. This allowed fans to come and cheer their heroes and see the prizes, but again did not involve any events on the pitch at Celtic Park.
In fact, in the following decades, the idea of a League Trophy Day simply does not exist, in terms of an on-field presentation. A trawl of the Celtic Wiki and other sources for league-winning games – or the next home match after this – does not show a formal trophy handover on the Parkhead turf.
The closest that this came to happening was two occasions in the late-1960s.