In this week’s edition we look back at a kit from a very successful season both domestically and in Europe for the team from the green and white side of Glasgow.
We are, of course, talking about Celtic’s 12/13 campaign when the Hoops won a league and cup double as well as picking up a number of famous wins in a remarkable Champions League campaign.
The home kit from that season was a particular cracker. The Nike strip had a very retro feel about it, with a simplistic, yet intriguing design. The shirt adopted the traditional green and white hoops, with the hoops themselves being relatively thin in comparison to that of other Celtic strips in recent memory.
The shirt was sponsored by Glaswegian lager company, Tennent's, with the sponsor printing being quite subtle and small, placed just under the club crest. This subtleness gave the shirt a very retro and classy feel. The kit was rounded off with all white shorts and black socks. It was the club’s 125th anniversary kit and it became iconic because of that, as well as the season that the team had when wearing it.
Celtic’s league campaign saw the Hoops clinch their 44th league title, finishing the season 16 points clear of 2nd placed Motherwell. Over the course of the season the team won 29 games in the league, with 15 of those coming at Celtic Park. Gary Hooper was the club’s top scorer in the league with an impressive tally of 19 goals, many of which were crucial in the team’s title charge.
Celtic had a fairly solid run in the League Cup, reaching the semi final via 4-1 and 5-0 victories over Raith Rovers and St Johnstone respectively. However, they were defeated 3-2 by eventual winners St Mirren in the semi final.
Despite their league cup heartache, the Hoops got revenge over the Buddies by knocking them out of the Scottish Cup in the quarter final. Celtic then overcame Dundee United with a 4-3 scoreline in an enthralling semi final encounter, setting up a final against Hibernian. A brace from Gary Hooper as well as a late strike from Joe Ledley clinched Celtic’s 36th Scottish Cup title in style, with a 3-0 win over the Hibees.
The most remarkable part of this season for Celtic was however, their Champions League campaign. The Bhoys qualified by defeating HJK Helsinki and Helsingborgs IF in the first and second qualifying rounds respectively. In the group stages Celtic were drawn in a ‘group of death’ alongside Barcelona, Benfica and CSKA Moscow.
However, against all odds, Celtic qualified for the last 16, having finished as group runners up. During the group stages, the team picked up points against all of the other teams. This included victories both home and away against CSKA Moscow as well as a famous 2-1 win over Barcelona at Parkhead, with Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt (right) providing the goals for Celtic.
It was definitely a season to remember for the Hoops and one that they will be looking to try and emulate this season, both domestically and in Europe. It was truly a fine kit, fitting for a fine Celtic team!
