Pulling Power

(by TheHumanTorpedo)
There are few teams in world football who can match Celtic’s reputation as crowd-pullers. Historically the Hoops huge and devoted fan-base has turned out in record breaking numbers to support their team.

The Bhoys’ massive support has long made them the most attractive of choices for testimonial matches. Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs and Arsenal hero David O’Leary both turned to the Hoops when the moment came for their big games. As did all time England greats such as Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Tony Adams and Alan Shearer.

During his brief spell at Parkhead Roy Keane was granted a testimonial at Old Trafford, with more than 30,000 Bhoys travelling to Manchester for the clash with his old side United. The attendance of 69,561 was a world record for a testimonial game.

In terms of competitive games Celtic are frequently featured in the record books. Games involving the Hoops hold the record for the highest attendance in various competitions. These include the Scottish league, Scottish Cup, League Cup and the European Cup. Indeed the crowd of 146,433 at Hampden to see Celtic and Aberdeen in the 1937 Scottish Cup final is the largest ever at a club match in Europe.

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