The tournament was organised by the Glasgow Football Association at a time when regional associations were powerful bodies in the game. Originally member club’s were resistant to the idea as they believed playing games against local sides would not be as lucrative as their regular friendly clashes with teams from England. However when the Scottish Football Association banned its members from competing in the English FA Cup clubs saw this regional tournament as a means to recoup lost earnings caused by the ban.
In season 1891-92 Celtic claimed the trophy for the first time with a 4-0 victory over Third Lanark. The Glasgow Cup became a keenly contested competition during the earliest decades of Celtic’s existence and was a tournament which attracted huge crowds and witnessed some classic matches – especially between Celtic and Rangers.
Even as relatively late as 1975 the tournament could attract crowds of 75,000 but in truth its prestige and appeal was significantly devalued after the end of World War II when a third national domestic competition – the League Cup – and then European football were added to football’s crowded calendar. Regional competitions – even for trophies as handsome as the Glasgow Cup – were now regarded as more of a hindrance. By the start of season 1989/90 the Glasgow Cup was revamped as a competition for youth teams.
The tournament undoubtedly provided many wonderful memories for Celtic supporters over the years though. Notable highlights include the 5-3 victory over Rangers in the 1955 final replay, Bobby Lennox’s hat-trick in the 4-0 rout of Rangers at Ibrox in August 1966 and the 8-0 thrashing of Clyde in the 1968 final. Celtic won 29 times.
- 1888 Cambuslang 3 Rangers 1
- 1889 Queen’s Park 8 Partick Thistle 0
- 1890 Queen’s Park 3 Celtic 2
- 1891 Celtic 4 Third Lanark 0
- 1892 Celtic 7 Clyde 1
- 1893 Rangers 3 Celtic 1
- 1894 Rangers 1 Cowlairs 0
- 1895 Celtic 2 Rangers 0
- 1896 Celtic 6 Queen’s Park 3
- 1897 Rangers 2 Celtic 1 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1898 Rangers 4 Queen’s Park 0
- 1899 Queen’s Park 1 Rangers 0
- 1900 Rangers 1 Celtic 0 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1901 Rangers 3 Partick Thistle 1
- 1902 Rangers walkover, Celtic scratched (after 2-2 draw)
- 1903 Third Lanark 3 Celtic 0
- 1904 Third Lanark 1 Celtic 0 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1905 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
- 1906 Celtic 3 Third Lanark 0
- 1907 Celtic 3 Third Lanark 2
- 1908 Celtic 2 Rangers 1 (after 2-2, 0-0 draws)
- 1909 Third Lanark 4 Celtic 0 (after 1-1, 2-2 draws)
- 1910 Celtic 1 Rangers 0
- 1911 Rangers 3 Celtic 1
- 1912 Rangers 1 Partick Thistle 0
- 1913 Rangers 3 Celtic 1
- 1914 Rangers 3 Third Lanark 0
- 1915 Clyde 1 Partick Thistle 0 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1916 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
- 1917 Celtic 3 Clyde 1
- 1918 Rangers 4 Partick Thistle 1
- 1919 Rangers 2 Celtic 0
- 1920 Celtic 1 Partick Thistle 0
- 1921 Celtic 1 Clyde 0
- 1922 Rangers 1 Celtic 0
- 1923 Rangers 1 Clyde 0 (after 0-0 draw)
- 1924 Rangers 3 Third Lanark 1
- 1925 Rangers 4 Celtic 1
- 1926 Clyde 2 Celtic 1
- 1927 Celtic 1 Rangers 0
- 1928 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
- 1929 Celtic 2 Queen’s Park 0
- 1930 Rangers 4 Celtic 0 (after 0-0 draw)
- 1931 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
- 1932 Rangers 3 Queen’s Park 0
- 1933 Rangers 1 Partick Thistle 0
- 1934 Rangers 2 Clyde 0
- 1935 Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 0
- 1936 Rangers 2 Celtic 0
- 1937 Rangers 6 Partick Thistle 1 (after 2-2 draw)
- 1938 Rangers 2 Third Lanark 1
- 1939 Celtic 3 Clyde 0
- 1940 Rangers 3 Queen’s Park 1
- 1941 Celtic 1 Rangers 0
- 1942 Rangers 6 Clyde 0
- 1943 Rangers 5 Third Lanark 2
- 1944 Rangers 2 Clyde 0
- 1945 Rangers 3 Celtic 2
- 1946 Queen’s Park 2 Clyde 0
- 1947 Clyde 2 Third Lanark 1
- 1948 Rangers 4 Third Lanark 1
- 1949 Celtic 3 Third Lanark 1
- 1950 Rangers 2 Clyde 1
- 1951 Partick Thistle 3 Celtic 2 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1952 Clyde 2 Celtic 1
- 1953 Partick Thistle 3 Rangers 1
- 1954 Rangers 3 Third Lanark 0
- 1955 Partick Thistle 2 Rangers 0
- 1956 Celtic 5 Rangers 3 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1957 Rangers 2 Clyde 0
- 1958 Rangers 4 Third Lanark 2 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1959 Clyde 1 Rangers 0 (after 0-0 draw)
- 1960 Rangers 2 Partick Thistle 1
- 1961 Partick Thistle 2 Celtic 0
- 1962 Celtic 3 Third Lanark 2 (after 1-1 draw)
- 1963 Third Lanark 2 Celtic 1
- 1964 Celtic 2 Clyde 0
- 1965 Celtic 5 Queen’s Park 0
- 1966 not completed
- 1967 Celtic 4 Partick Thistle 0
- 1968 Celtic 8 Clyde 0
- 1969 Rangers 3 Partick Thistle 2
- 1970 Celtic 3 Rangers 1
- 1971 Rangers 2 Clyde 0
- 1972 no competition
- 1973 no competition
- 1974 no competition
- 1975 Rangers 2 Celtic 2 (No replay, Rangers and Celtic declared joint holders)
- 1976 Rangers 3 Celtic 1
- 1977 no competition
- 1978 not completed
- 1979 Rangers 3 Celtic 1
- 1980 not completed (final Rangers v. Celtic not played)
- 1981 Partick Thistle 1 Celtic 0
- 1982 Celtic 2 Rangers 1
- 1983 Rangers 1 Celtic 0
- 1984 no competition
- 1985 Rangers 5 Queen’s Park 0
- 1986 Rangers 3 Celtic 2
- 1987 Rangers 1 Celtic 0
- 1988 not completed
- 1989 Partick Thistle 2 Clyde 0
As a youth competition…
- 1990 Celtic 2 Rangers 0
- 1991 Celtic 3 Partick Thistle 2
- 1992 Celtic 0 Rangers 1
- 1993 Rangers 1 Celtic 0
- 1994 Celtic 0 Rangers 1
- 1995 Celtic 1 Rangers 3
- 1996 Celtic 0 Rangers 1
- 1997 Celtic 5 Partick Thistle 0
- 1998 Rangers 1 Celtic 1 (Celtic won 3-0 on penalties AET)
- 1999 Celtic 0 Rangers 4
- …
- 2008 Celtic 3 Rangers 1
- 2009 Rangers 2 Celtic 1
- 2010 Rangers 2 Celtic 1
