CELTIC ON THIS DAY – MONDAY 28 MAY 1888 – Celtic, founded in November 1887, play their first game, beating Rangers 5-2, but the Rangers team contains a few of their “swifts” or reserves. Old Celtic Park looks neat and trim for the game and a crowd of about 2,000 attend…
Tom Maley grabbed a hat-trick, James Kelly also scored but Neil McCallum had the honour of scoring Celtic’s first ever goal.
After the game, both teams adjourn to the St.Mary’s Hall for refreshments and a soiree of entertainment “of the most sociable nature.” – Celtic Historian David Potter.
This was it! The day everyone involved with this new club in the East End of Glasgow was as high as a kite – whether it be a committeeman, a subscriber, one of the many workers who gave their time free to help prepare the new ground, the players specially chosen to make up the first team and not forgetting the supporters.
All of them were heading for this impressive stadium just off Dalmarnock Road on this day in 1888 where this new side – called Celtic – would take on one of the other Glasgow sides, Rangers.
As Celtic had no signed players at that time, the committee invited footballers from other clubs in and around the city to take part and the final team was as follows:
Dolan (Drumpellier), Pearson ( Carfin Shamrock), McLachlan (Whitefield), W Maley (Third Lanark), Kelly (Renton), Murray (Cambuslang Hibs), McCallum (Renton), T Maley (Third Lanark), Madden (Dumbarton), Dunbar (Hibs) and Gorevin (Whitfield).
Rangers FC was also run by a committee and they must have pondered whether it would be a wise idea to take on this match. They would have seen the enthusiasm for the new club in the East End and the amount of work that had been put in to bring it to fruition.
The Ibrox members were just beginning to regard themselves as one of the top clubs in the city – along with Third Lanark and Queen’s Park – and they would not have been too happy to see this newcomer take much of the headlines in the press.
They did not want to ignore the invitation to play Celtic
At the same time, they did not want to ignore the invitation to play Celtic in the opening match on their new ground but could also do without a possible defeat.
So, in the end, after a great deal of discussion, the committee decided to send their reserve side – known as the Rangers Swifts – to take part in the occasion.
Unfortunately for the club from Ibrox, the Rangers side just could not cope with the sparkling play of the Celtic Eleven and lost 5-2, Neilly McCallum becoming the first Celtic player to score for the club with a header early on.
Celtic legend and Lisbon Lion Jim Craig, writing on 28 May 2018
The Scottish Umpire’s Review published on 5 June 1888
It would appear as if the newly-formed Glasgow club, the Celtic F.C., has a bright future before it. At any rate, if the committee can place the same eleven in the field as opposed the Rangers last Monday evening, or an equally strong one, the Celtic will not lack for patronage and support.
A good team is essential to success, and this fact the committee have not lost sight of. It will be interesting -to many of our readers to know the composition of the team which represented the new organisation in its first club match.
Here it is :—Goal, Dolon (Drumpellier) ; backs, Pearson (Carfin Shamrock) and McLachlan (Whitefield); half-backs, Maley (3rd Lanark), Kelly (Renton), and Murray (Cambuslang Hibs.); forwards, McCallum (Renton), Maley (3rd Lanark), Madden (Dumbarton), Dunbar (Hibs.), and Gorevin (Whitefield)—a pretty good eleven.
The Rangers were without D. Gow, J. R. Gow, Hotson, Peacock, Allan, and Aird ; but had Suter (Partick Thistle) doing duty—the remainder being drawn from the Swifts.
The match was a capital one, fast and friendly
The match was a capital one, fast and friendly—the home organisation playing with a combination which could scarcely have been expected for an opening display. The Celtic retired victors by 5 goals to 2—a result which must be indeed gratifying to their supporters.
After the match, over 70 gentlemen sat down to supper in the Hall, East Rose Street, where a pleasant evening was spent. Dr. Conway occupied the chair, and on the platform were also Messrs. M’Fadden (Hibs.), McCulloch (Our Boys), Grant (Rangers), and the Rev. Brother Walfrid.
The latter gentleman, who took a deep interest in the origin of the club, has every reason to flatter himself as to the success of the Celtic. Long may it flourish in our midst.
May 1888. Excitement was intense amongst the Irish community in the east end of Glasgow, as Celtic’s new ground neared completion, following the purchase of a stretch of land between Janefield Cemetery and Dalmarnock Street (later renamed Springfield Road), just six months earlier.
The first Celtic Park was opened on Monday, 8 May 1888, with a match between Hibernian and Cowlairs, a few hours after the future King Edward VII opened the Glasgow International Exhibition at Kelvingrove Park, over in the west end of the city.
Scottish Cup-holders, Renton, had been the preferred opponents for the Edinburgh side, however, they were playing Rangers in the Glasgow Charity Cup semi-final at First Hampden the same night, winning 5-1.
The enterprising Celtic committee had then turned their eyes south, inviting the strongest side in England at that time, Preston North End, to play Hibernian. They had suffered a shock defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval six weeks earlier, having been so confident of victory that they reputedly asked to be photographed with the cup before the game!
They would make no such mistake in the season to follow, becoming the first side to win the League and Cup double in England by going through both competitions unbeaten, the original ‘Invincibles’.
The fee requested by the Lancashire club was felt to be too hefty and so it was, then, that a team from Springburn graced the original hallowed turf first. Cowlairs had won the Glasgow North-Eastern Cup for the third successive season just three days earlier, beating local rivals, Northern 1-0 in the final at Clyde’s home ground, the original Barrowfield Park in Dalmarnock.
They would go on to play a key role in Celtic’s early search for competitive honours. The opening game between the Glasgow and Edinburgh sides at Celtic Park finished goalless, before more than 5,000 spectators.
Three weeks later, Monday, 28 May 1888, Celtic Football Club played its first football match, facing Glasgow club, Rangers in a friendly.
As Celtic were still in the process of securing a team for the new season (players’ contracts were renewed annually in those days), the home side comprised of players still contracted to other clubs, including both Renton and Hibernian. The Rangers XI featured a number of reserve players, known as ‘swifts’.
In front of 2,000, Renton winger, Neil McCallum, had the honour of scoring the first-ever goal at the new ground and in the history of Celtic, whilst Cathcart’s Tom Maley, playing beside his brother Willie, notched the inaugural hat-trick.
Future captain and chairman, James Kelly, the father of Sir Robert and the star Scottish player of his day, scored the second goal as the white-shirted Celts won 5-2.
Matt Corr
🗞️ “It would appear as if the newly-formed Glasgow club, the Celtic F.C., has a bright future before it.” – The Scottish Umpire, 1888
On this day in 1888, Celtic played their first ever match – beating Rangers 5-2 at the old Celtic Park.
The rest, as they say, is history. 🍀 pic.twitter.com/j295mYsF8Q
— La Gazzetta dello Celtic (@GazzettaCeltic) May 28, 2026
On May 28, 1888, when a new football team played its first match, 2,000 fans turned out to see Celtic beat Rangers 5-2.#CelticFC 2026: 🏆 122
🏆 1 European Cup
🏆 56 League
🏆 43 Scottish Cup
🏆 22 League Cup#COYBIG #Celtic 🍀🇮🇪☘️ pic.twitter.com/TzaEkq5poC— Celtic_FC_Francophone🍀 (@CSC_Francophone) May 28, 2026
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