What better day than Easter Sunday to resurrect Celtic’s league hopes

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·5 April 2026

What better day than Easter Sunday to resurrect Celtic’s league hopes

Happy Easter to Celtic supporters everywhere!

Green Brigade Easter Rising display

The Celts are in action later today on the 30th anniversary of the Bhoys’ first ever Easter Sunday fixture. The Bhoys did not play on any Sunday until 1974. Even then, more than two further decades would still pass before the Celts played on Easter.

Video OneFootball

This was not a memorable fixture; on 7 April 1996, Celtic lost 2-1 to Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-final. Pierre van Hooijdonk’s strike was not enough as goals from Laudrup and McCoist gave the Ibrox men a 2-1 win.

Memories View

Today will mark Celtic’s 14th Easter Sunday match. So far, this day has witnessed six wins for the Bhoys alongside four draws and three defeats. There have been 23 goals for Celtic and 11 conceded.

Callum McGregor, St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Easter Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Oh Ghrá Mo Chroí

Celtic’s six Easter victories came in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2024 and 2025. In fact, this year is the Celts’ third successive Easter Sunday match so hopefully the winning run will continue.

The four Easter draws for the Hoops came in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2019. Hopefully it’s not an omen that Celtic never been able to win an Easter game in years ending in a six…

On Easter morn’ I sigh

Strangely, the only team to beat Celtic on Easter Sunday are a side that wrongly claim to have come back from the dead. The two Rangers overcame Celtic in 1996, 1998 and 2021.

St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Easter Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Appropriately enough, two of Celtic’s Easter games have taken place at Easter Road. In fact, 12 out of the 13 games have been away fixtures for Celtic, or at least at neutral territory.

When history was made

The Celts’ one home fixture came in 2006, and it ended in a 1-1 draw with Hibs. However it was still a day of cheer as post-match the Bhoys were presented with the League trophy by Billy Connolly.

This season has been less than positive for the Bhoys, with many people writing off the club’s hopes of silverware. But what better day than Easter Sunday to resurrect Celtic’s league hopes?

Matthew Marr

Follow Matthew on x – @hailhailhistory

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