The Celtic View: A Legacy of Storytelling in Football

On an August day in 1965, the first copies of the Celtic View were snapped up on the streets, a modest four-page, black-and-white newspaper fronted by a photograph of the newly crowned Scottish Cup winners and their manager, Jock Stein. It felt like a small step at the time. It became a landmark.

Born from the imagination of former newspaperman Jack McGinn – who would later rise to the chairmanship of the club – the Celtic View carved out a unique place in the game. While other clubs toyed with programmes and pamphlets, Celtic built a publication with a heartbeat. Nearly six decades on, it still holds its distinction as the oldest club publication in football.

The format has changed beyond recognition. What began as a weekly paper is now a glossy, 100-page quarterly magazine, but the purpose remains the same: to tell Celtic’s story from the inside. The latest issue leans fully into that mission, turning the spotlight on last season’s Double-winning campaign and the personalities who drove it.

This edition is heavy on voices that matter. Martin O'Neill reflects, the kind of presence whose name alone evokes trophies and turning points. Club captain Callum McGregor adds the perspective of the dressing room, while Alistair Johnston offers the view from the modern back line. The champions speak as a group too, in a dedicated “Champions’ Reaction” section that captures the emotional surge of a title secured and a cup lifted.

The magazine also stretches beyond the established names. Viljami Sinisalo, Arne Engels, Kelechi Iheanacho, Callum Osmand and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain feature, a blend of experience and emerging stories that mirrors the evolution of the squad itself. James Forrest and Liam Scales, each with their own journey in green and white, step into focus as well.

The World Cup thread runs strongly through the issue. “World Cup Celts” highlights Kieran Tierney, Anthony Ralston, Auston Trusty, Alistair Johnston, Benjamin Nygren, Sebastian Tounekti, Daizen Maeda and Yang, underlining how far the club’s reach now extends. Henrik Larsson’s World Cup memories add a layer of nostalgia that needs no embellishment; his name alone carries the roar of a generation.

The features dig into the club’s modern and historic drama. “Story of the Season” charts the path of the Double. “Martin O'Neill's Trophy Triumphs” revisits an era when silverware felt almost inevitable. “Celtic's Late, Late Shows” relives the stoppage-time rescues and last-gasp winners that have defined so many afternoons and nights at Celtic Park. “Nygren's Numbers” brings a statistical edge, while “Last-Day Title Wins” revisits the nerve-shredding finales that still live vividly in supporters’ minds. James Forrest’s medal haul gets its own treatment, a reminder of just how much one player can accumulate when loyalty and success intersect.

Even the supporters are invited to test themselves. A World Cup quiz runs through the club’s global footprint, linking eras and continents in a few pages of questions and answers.

From a black-and-white sheet in 1965 to a 100-page celebration of a Double-winning side, the Celtic View has tracked every twist in the club’s modern history. The latest issue is on sale this week in official Celtic stores and online, another chapter in a publication that has grown up alongside the club it chronicles.