The Football and Society Podcast

Pioneers: The legacy of Celtic's Lisbon Lions and what they tell us about Catholic identity in Scotland

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Episode notes

In 1967, Celtic became the first ever club from Britain to win the European Cup. At the Estádio Nacional near Lisbon, the team that became known as the ‘Lisbon Lions’ beat Internazionale 2-1; 10 of the 11 players in the team were born within 12 miles of Celtic’s stadium in the east end of Glasgow.

John Kelly and Joseph Bradley, in an article for the journal Soccer and Society, highlighted how significant this was for the Irish diaspora residing in Glasgow.

Most contemporary discourse, however, neglects to acknowledge the symbolic nature and iconographic character of this famous victory. The triumph of Celtic, a team with strong connections to the Catholic area of Glasgow in which it is based (as well as other Catholic areas overseas), was a proud moment for the Irish Catholic diaspora in Scotland negotiating and forming its own identity, after suffering the consequences of British colonial legacy, mass starvation, and revolution in Ireland.

Whilst it is not a Catholic club, there would be no Celtic Football Club without Catholics, Catholicism, and the Catholic Church in Scotland. It was an Irish immigrant and Catholic teacher, Brother Walfrid, who saw in the development and popularity of football an opportunity to raise money to feed poor immigrant Irish Catholics in Glasgow. Celtic’s distinctive identity contrasts sharply with dominant forms of Scottish and British identities. Over several generations, the club has become part of a shared biography for thousands of Irish-descended Celtic fans, and the Lisbon Lions’ victory in 1967 is a key moment in this collective narrative.

Does the term 'sectarianism' need a rethink?
To what extent is Irish identity and history suppressed by the Scottish school curriculum?
How do fans of other Scottish clubs, including Rangers, Hibernian and Hearts feel about Celtic's pioneering 1967 side, and what does this tell us about Scottish society and footballing loyalties?

...all this and more in the 19th episode of the Football and Society podcast.

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Follow John on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnKellyEdin

Find out more about John and his work: https://edinburgh.academia.edu/johnkelly

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Each week, Ash, Chris and Norman explore societal issues through the lens of the beautiful game.

From the ethics of gambling sponsorship to what a stadium move means for fans, we’ll be covering it all each week with expert guests from the worlds of sports journalism and sociology.