1887 年 11 月成立仅六个月后，凯尔特人足球俱乐部就在仓促但令人印象深刻的凯尔特人公园球场进行了他们的第一场比赛。这场对阵流浪者队的比赛于 1888 年 5 月 28 日星期一举行 - 136 年前的今天- 大约 2,000 名观众聚集在一起观看凯尔特人队对阵流浪者队的比赛。在第一场比赛中，凯尔特人队身穿绿领白衬衫，佩戴绿红相间的凯尔特十字徽章。对于新俱乐部来说，这是一个成功的开始，他们以 5-2 战胜了一支将成为最大对手的球队。 比赛结束后，双方在附近的圣玛丽大厅 (St Mary's Hall) 会面（会议地点是在圣玛丽大厅）。发现凯尔特人队已经举行了）吃晚饭，听音乐会，并互相祝酒。那么参加凯尔特人队历史性第一场比赛的球员呢？ （括号内的球队是凯尔特人队第一场比赛时的对手）MICHAEL DOLAN (Drumpellier)这位凯尔特人门将在 1888 年至 1894 年间总共出场四次。1891 年格拉斯哥杯决赛对阵克莱德队时，他在门将门将破门。这是苏格兰决赛中首次使用。凯尔特人队以 7-1 获胜，因此可以肯定地说，他是凯尔特人队历史上第一个将球从网中挑出的门将。

WILLIE MALEY (Cathcart)Recruited by Celtic along with his brother, Tom, Willie Maley (above) played 96 times for the club, scoring two goals. However, as the first, and only Celtic manager in the first 50 years of the club's existence, his influence stretched way beyond that of mere player and he was the man who not only laid the foundations for the club but also helped to build it up to be Scotland's most successful club.

JAMES KELLY (Renton)Kelly (above) had been part of the famous Renton side which had defeated West Bromwich Albion earlier in May 1888 to be declared 'world champions'. While Neil McCallum has the distinction of scoring Celtic's first ever goal, Kelly is the Buzz Aldrin of that team, heading home goal No.2 just before half-time. He made 139 appearances for the club between1888 and 1897, scoring 11 goals. He became a director of the club on his retirement, and was Celtic chairman from 1909 until 1914.NEIL McCALLUM (Renton)A team-mate of Kelly's in the unofficial world championship match against West Brom, McCallum scored Celtic's first ever goal, heading home from a corner after just 10 minutes. He briefly signed for Blackburn in 1890 but returned the following year to Celtic Park. He made 33 appearances for the club, scoring 17 goals, before signing for Nottingham Forest in 1892.

TOM MALEY (Cathcart)Brother of Willie, Tom Maley (above) had been Celtic's original target when Pat Welsh, John Glass and Brother Walfrid turned up at the Maley household. He scored three goals against Rangers in that inaugural match – the first ever hat-trick by a Celtic player. He only played nine times for Celtic, though he scored six goals. He later became a director in 1897 before leaving to become manager at Manchester City in 1902. He also managed Bradford Park Avenue, famously changing their strip to the green and white Hoops.  JOHN MADDEN (Dumbarton)Madden was Celtic's first ever centre-forward, though he never got on the scoresheet in that first game. A very skilful player, one book describes him as 'the Charlie Tully of his day'. He made 118 appearances for the green and white stripes between 1889 and 1897, scoring 49 goals, and was part of the championship-winning sides of 1893 and 1894. He moved to Czechoslovakia in 1905 and became coach of Slavia Prague. He was a massive influence on the development of Czech football.  MICK DUNBAR (Hibernian)As well as playing in Celtic's first ever game, Mick Dunbar also played for Hibernian against Cowlairs on May 8, 1888 in what was the first ever game at the original Celtic Park. He scored 10 goals in 32 appearances for the club between 1888 and 1893, and later became a Celtic director in 1897, remaining so until his death in 1921.

CHARLES GOREVIN (Govan Whitfield)A Sligo man, Charlie Gorevin was playing for Govan Whitefield when he was invited to turn out for the new Celtic Football Club. He later emigrated to the United States, where he played football and GAA. He died in April 1915 at the age of 48 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.  EDDIE PEARSON (Carfin Shamrock)The right-back from Holytown, Lanarkshire, played in Celtic's inaugural game. He and his brother, David, also lined up against Celtic for Carfin Shamrock in a Scottish Cup tie in 1890. The first match was drawn 2-2, with Celtic winning the replay 3-1. Pearson died in 1918 at the age of 55.  JAMES McLAUGHLIN (Hibernian)James McLaughlin began his career with Cowlairs Juniors before joining Hibernian in 1887. A year later he moved to Celtic. Although he played full-back in that first game, he later became Celtic’s first-choice goalkeeper, and made three Scottish Cup appearances. He was also in the Celtic team which won the Glasgow North-Eastern Cup in May 1889 – the club’s first ever trophy. At the end of his playing career James became a much sought after referee and was the refereeing representative of Celtic. He passed away in 1946.  PHILIP MURRAY (Cambuslang Hibs)The English-born player was part of Celtic's first ever team, though he was playing for Cambuslang Hibs at the time. He would later play for Blantyre Celtic in the early 1890s, while he also plied his trade elsewhere in Scotland and Ireland. He moved to Pennsylvania in 1901 and passed away in 1949.