CELTIC HISTORY CONFERENCE MAKES ITS OWN HISTORY…
On Saturday, despite it being the close season, hundreds of Celtic fans descended on Celtic Park. The event was a ‘world first’ moment – a football history conference devoted to a single team. The club was, of course, Celtic.
Over 300 Celtic supporters attended first ever Celtic History Conference
More than 300 supporters signed up to attend the inaugural Celtic History Conference, an event that organisers hope will become an annual affair. At one point, there were a further 200 fans with their names on the waiting list.
Although independently organised by Celtic fans, the support of Celtic in giving free access to the Kerrydale Suite ensured that there was no charge to attend.
Lead organiser David Watt spoke first, before former Celt Tosh McKinlay gave the official welcome.
There was also a minute’s applause to the mark the memory of renowned clubs historians Pat Woods, Tom Campbell and David Potter.
There were five separate sessions, covering various aspects of the Celtic story.
Keynote speaker for the day was Dr Joe Bradley – editor of the ‘Celtic Minded’ book series – who spoke about the events which led to the club’s formation, including the role and influence of the Catholic Church.
This theme continued with Dr Michael Connolly, who wrote a book about the life of Celtic founder, Brother Walfrid. Dr Connolly went into more detail about different aspect of Walfrid’s experiences.
‘Whose history is it anyway?’
Following a break, Dr Margot McQuaig presented her discussions ‘Whose history is it anyway?’ looking at the role of women in Celtic’s history, including in writing and recording Celtic stories.
Club author and Celtic Shorts writer Matthew Marr was the fourth speaker, discussing the ‘Dear GREEN Place’ by examining less well-known Celtic stories to be found across Glasgow. This builds on his Celtic walking tours which take place around the city.
The final contribution came from Stephen Murray – better known on Twitter as ‘St Anthony’ – who spoke about his role in the Celtic Wiki, an online encyclopaedia devoted to Celtic facts and photos.
There was even time at the end for a raffle with prizes including history books and a signed Celtic ball. However, those that left early or did not attend will be disappointed to learn that their prizes were re-raffled!
Universally positive feedback
Early feedback from attendees has been universally positive. Plans are all already underway for a 2027 conference, and other potential projects may also arise out of this.
Fans wishing to attend next year – or offer ideas for 2027, such as possible topics – are encouraged to get in touch with organisers. Supporters can do this by emailing: cfchistoryreading@fastmail.fm
Matthew Marr
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