da dobrowin： Celtic return to Scottish Cup action on Saturday against old cup foes Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
da apostaganha： The Hoops know as well as anyone the danger that the Highlanders can pose in the competition having been dumped out by Caley three times since the turn of the century.
Still, the Scottish Cup has been a very happy hunting ground for Celtic throughout history, with the club winning it a massive 36 times – no other team has lifted this piece of silverware more than the Hoops.
It’s a trophy the fans love and a competition that has provided some of the most memorable days of supporters’ lives.
This season, it’s taken on even more significance given that Brendan Rodgers is going for the domestic treble in his first season in charge and has a great chance of doing it too. With the League Cup already lifted and his side well on their way to Premiership glory, the Northern Irishman knows this is Celtic’s best chances for years to manage the historic feat.
Ahead of Saturday’s game, let’s take a look back at FIVE of the biggest moments in Celtic’s Scottish Cup history…
Scottish Cup Final 1965
In March 1965, Jock Stein arrived at Celtic Park with one principle aim, to make Celtic a force again. It’s fair to say he did just that.
But none of it may have been possible without this mammoth Scottish Cup Final win in the same year, Stein’s first trophy as Celtic manager and the club’s first since 1958.
The success that followed was momentous but the belief and self-confidence built this day was the catalyst and it was all thanks to the new arrival of Stein and Billy McNeill’s winning header.
Towering like a colossus above the Dunfermline defence, McNeill rose to hammer home the third in a 3-2 comeback win against Stein’s former side.
Before Stein would leave the club he would go on to win another 24 trophies at Celtic including an unprecedented nine league titles in a row and a European Cup.
Scottish Cup Final 1988
1988 was a fairytale season for Celtic and their supporters. In an era when success was far from guaranteed, with Rangers, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts all formidable opponents, Celtic won a league and cup double in the club’s centenary year.
It was a fitting way to make the occasion and a season that would see the last league win for a decade.
The Scottish Cup Final is seen as the most memorable of days that season. With Celtic 1-0 down to Dundee United at Hampden thanks to a Kevin Gallacher goal, Frank McAvennie popped up to equalise in the 76th minute before scoring a sensational winner with the last kick of the game to deliver the trophy.
The goal sparked scenes rarely seen at Hampden with close to 40,000 Celtic fans going absolutely berserk. For Celtic fans of a certain vintage, this will rank highly as one of their favourite days ever supporting the Hoops.
Scottish Cup Final 1995
After that triumph in 1988, Celtic would again win the Scottish Cup in 1989 but that was to be their last major honour for six years.
During a period of financial strife and hardship, performances suffered on the pitch and the Hoops were struggling to even finish 2nd in the Scottish top-flight with Rangers battling it out with Aberdeen and Motherwell for title success.
That was until Tommy Burns came to the club and gave the Bhoys their swagger back – key to that was this cup final in 1995 when Celtic took on lower league Airdrie at Hampden.
It was a tight, nervy, close fought encounter but Celtic managed to get ahead early thanks to a towering Pierre van Hooijdonk header, and Burns’ side held on to claim their first trophy since the ’80s.
It was to usher in a new era at Celtic Park with a new stadium built that summer and fresh title challenges under Burns pushing Rangers all the way in subsequent years. The club then finally managed to stop their arch rivals from achieving the hallowed ten league titles in a row under Wim Jansen.
Scottish Cup Final 2004
Celtic’s success under Martin O’Neill is a magnificent chapter in the club’s long, historic story. Winning a treble in his first season and taking the club to their first European final since 1970, Martin O’Neill was a modern marvel at Celtic Park.
He had a wonderful squad at his disposal and utilised them perfectly.
None more special at Celtic in this period was Henrik Larsson who, by the time he left in 2004, had become a world-class striking talent that could walk into almost any side in the world.
His last competitive game before joining Barcelona was a Scottish Cup Final against Dunfermline. In typical fashion he was the hero on the day, sparking a comeback from 1-0 down by scoring a double before Stiliyan Petrov rounded things off for a 3-1 victory.
It was an emotional but special day for Celtic supporters, with everyone knowing Larsson was leaving, they managed to see their hero deliver success one last time and revel in the occasion with the Swedish superstar.
Scottish Cup Final 2013
Despite Celtic’s dominance in the league over the last half-decade, the Scottish Cup has remained a competitive and exciting competition for all. There have been seven different winners in the last ten years with the likes of Inverness Caley Thistle and St Johnstone getting in on the glory.
This entry in our list brings us right up to date and is the last time Celtic won the competition.
Although undoubtedly a less effective talent than Henrik Larsson, this was to be Gary Hooper’s swansong at the club, and he scored a double against Hibs in a 3-0 victory at Hampden. Hooper was an excellent goalscorer for the club and would go on to sign for Norwich City that summer.
It was one of five trophies won under popular Celtic icon Neil Lennon as manager and his only league and cup double success.
It’s occasions like these that the Hoops will be striving to get to when they take on Inverness CT this Saturday.