Celtic F.C. Under-20s and Academy
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| Full name | Celtic Under 20s |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bhoys |
| Founded | 1888 |
| Ground | Cappielow Park |
| Capacity | 11,589 |
| Head Coach | Tommy McIntyre |
| League | SPFL U20 League |
| 2015–16 | SPFL U20 League, 1st |
Celtic Football Club was formed in 1887, and since its earliest days has also run a reserve team, primarily to assist the blending of younger players into the first team. A number of successful footballers have emerged from the reserves. The most well known grouping of reserve players were the so-called Quality Street Kids who emerged in the 1960s, the most prominent of whom were Kenny Dalglish and Danny McGrain. Reserve football in Scotland has gone through various reorganisations over the years, and Celtic currently run U20 and U17 sides in conjunction with their first team.
Celtic ran a reserve side from their early days, known at the time as the Crusaders. Other clubs in the 1880s also gave their reserve sides distinctive names, with Rangers calling their Second XI the Swifts, and Queens Park naming their reserves the Strollers.
Celtic's first known involvement in reserve league football, was their participation in the Scottish Combination league in 1896. Several Scottish League clubs fielded 2nd XIs ('A' sides), as well as Queens Park Strollers. However, by the 1900s Celtic manager Willie Maley was only using a small, if versatile, squad of players, and the decision was made to stop fielding a reserve team altogether. In 1909, a new Scottish Reserve League was set up, again often including at least one non-reserve side of a non-league club in each of its seasons. Celtic did not participate. The league was disbanded during World War 1, but effectively re-established in 1919 as the Scottish Alliance League. As with previous incarnations, this reserve league also contained the first XI of several non-league sides. Celtic took part for the first few seasons, and won the championship in 1921–22, however withdrew again after that for what is presumed were financial reasons. This appeared an unwise decision. Rangers went on to dominate Scottish football in the 1920s, and Celtic appeared to struggle without a reserve team to help blend younger players into the club's first team.
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