A Celtic State of Mind – The VHS Years: When Celtic entered the Video Age

Celtic announced the release of their first video – The Celtic Story – in the match programme for the league encounter against Morton on 27 December 1982.

Lisbon Lions Billy McNeill, Stevie Chalmers, John Clark and Bobby Lennox attended the photo-shoot for the launch of a film that the club had commissioned back in 1967.

“Celtic Football Club have made their first move into the age of video,” explained the club. “The master copy of the film has been safely stored in a bank vault for 15 years and was released on the instructions of Desmond White.”

There was one note of caution from the board upon the release of this video: “The video tape industry is under terrible financial pressure because of illegal duplicating of films. Each original copy of The Celtic Story sold will bring money to Celtic Football Club and we ask for your help by not allowing people to copy your own bought and paid for Celtic Story.”

The ‘Celtic on Video’ series continued throughout the eighties, but it wasn’t until the nineties that Celtic videos started to truly flood the market, during a period when fans needed a fix of nostalgia to help us forget how bad the team were.

The VHS library is now a dead collection, so ACSOM has made efforts to accumulate a full complement of tapes over the last few months.

These videos will be transferred to digital files and a comprehensive list will also be forwarded to the Celtic Wiki so they can update their archive pages.

Additionally, a kindhearted Celtic fan (Jim Greenan from County Monaghan) has also provided footage from the ‘Celts for Change’ meeting that took place at the Imperial Hotel in Dundalk on 5 February 1994. Jim has given permission to have this footage uploaded to YouTube, so keep your eyes peeled for an unseen slice of Celtic history.

Here is the list of Celtic VHS releases. Should you have any to add, please let us know:

1982 – The Celtic Story (Take 2 Video. Later released in 1997 by Cameron Williams);

1984 – Celtic on Video: Celtic 3 Rangers 0, 2nd April 1984 (Celtic Video);

1985 – Celtic on Video: Behind Closed Doors (Celtic Video);

1986 – Kenny Dalglish: Portrait of a Natural Footballer (Castle Vision);

1988 – The Official History of Celtic Football Club (BBC);

1989 – Celtic FC 1988/89: The Season’s Greatest Highlights (The Video Collection);

1990 – Great Celtic Action from the ‘60s (On The Ball Productions);

1990 – Hail! Hail! Old Firm Classics (Pickwick Video);

1990 – The Bryan Robson Testimonial: Manchester United v Celtic (BAe Sportscast);

1991 – The Packie Bonner Story (Sports Business Scotland);

1991 – Celtic: More Great ‘60s Action (On The Ball Productions);

1991 – The Celtic Collection: Volume 1 (Classic Video Productions);

1992 – The Celtic Collection: Volume 2 (Classic Video Productions);

1992 – The Celtic Collection: Volume 3 (Classic Video Productions);

1992 – The Celtic Collection: Volume 4 (Classic Video Productions);

1992 – Jock: The Jock Stein Story (BBC);

1992 – The Loudest Roar (Caledonian Television Video);

1992 – Hail! Hail! Lionhearts (Pender Productions);

1992 – Top Action from the 1991/92 Scottish League Season, Featuring Celtic F.C. (Watershed Pictures);

1992 – Scottish Cup Greatest Victories Volume 1: Celtic FC (Watershed Pictures);

1993 – Jinky: The Jimmy Johnstone Story (Cameron Williams);

1994 – Return to Paradise: The Tommy Burns Celtic Story (Caledonian Television Video);

1994 – If You Know The History (Cameron Williams);

1994 – The Big Clubs (Videolog);

1994 – Ian Rush Testimonial (EB Video Entertainment);

1995 – Neville Southall Testimonial (EB Video Entertainment);

1995 – On The Road Again (Cameron Williams);

1995 – We’re Back (Cameron Williams);

1996 – Celtic A-Z (Cameron Williams);

1996 – On Target (John Williams Productions);

1996 – The Maestro (Cameron Williams);

1996 – Celtic Dream Team (John Williams Productions);

1997 – Celtic Diary (Cameron Williams);

1997 – Classic Celtic (Cameron Williams);

1997 – The Bhoys Are Back… (Cameron Williams);

1998 – Champions: The Glory Bhoys (Pearson New Entertainment);

1998 – The Celtic Files (Cameron Williams);

1998 – The Celtic Story filmed live at The Pavilion (John Williams Productions);

1998 – Proud to be a Celt (SBL);

1998 – 5 Star Bhoys (PT Video);

1999 – Magic Moments (PT Video);

1999 – Larsson: The Players’ Player (PT Video);

2000 – 2000 and Won! (Python Entertainment);

2000 – Martin O’Neill Exclusive (PT Video);

2000 – Demolition Derby (PT Video);

2001 – The Treble 2000/2001 (PT Video);

2001 – Lubo: A Gift From God (First Press Publishing);

2001 – ‘Ton’gue in Cheek: 100 Great Larsson Goals! (PT Video);

2002 – For the Love of Lubo: Tributes to a Legend (First Press Publishing);

2002 – The Best Day of our Lives: 1967, Inter v Celtic (Fremantle Media);

2002 – Hoops We Did It Again! (Fremantle Media);

2002 – 2 Good (Celtic FC);

2002 (?) – The Premier Event (Celtic FC);

2002 – The Greatest Ever Celts (Fremantle Media);

2003 – The Road to Seville (Fremantle Media);

2003 – The Bhoys From Seville (Scottish TV);

2003 – The Bhoy Who Would Be King (Fremantle Media);

2004 – In A League Of Their Own (Celtic TV Productions);

2004 – Jimmy Johnstone: Lord of the Wing;

2005 – Sutton Impact (Celtic TV Productions).

Paul John Dykes