| Season Review | Matches: 1978 – 1979 | 1978-1979 Pictures |
Appearances (Goals in brackets)'
+' sign indicates the number of substitute appearances by that player
* – left Celtic during season 1978/79
† – left Celtic at the end of season 1978/79
| League | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Total | |
| Latchford | 27 | 6 | 4 | 37 |
| Baines * | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Bonner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Filippi | 19+1 | 8 | 1 | 28+1 |
| McGrain | 18 (2) | 1 | 4 | 23 (2) |
| Sneddon | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Lynch | 27+1 (7) | 7 (3) | 4 (2) | 38+1 (12) |
| MacDonald | 18 (2) | 9 (1) | 4 | 31 (3) |
| Casey | 1+4 | 1+3 | 0 | 2+7 |
| Conroy | 20+1 (4) | 5 (1) | 0 | 25+1 (5) |
| Edvaldsson | 34 (1) | 9 (1) | 4 | 47 (2) |
| MacLeod | 23 (3) | 0 | 4 | 27 (3) |
| Mackie | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 |
| Aitken | 36 (5) | 9 (1) | 3 | 48 (6) |
| Glavin † | 9+1 (3) | 4+2 (2) | 0 | 13+3 (5) |
| McAdam | 24+4 (7) | 9 (6) | 0+1 | 33+5 (13) |
| Doyle | 23+3 (2) | 6+1 (3) | 4 (1) | 33+4 (6) |
| Provan | 30 (4) | 5 | 4 | 39 (4) |
| Davidson | 12 (2) | 0 | 0 | 12 (2) |
| Burns | 28+1 (3) | 8 | 3 (1) | 39+1 (4) |
| G McCluskey | 16+5 (5) | 1+3 | 2 (3) | 19+8 (8) |
| Craig * | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0+1 |
| Conn † | 12+1 (6) | 5 (1) | 2 | 19+1 (7) |
| Wilson * | 0+1 | 1+1 | 0 | 1+2 |
| Lennox † | 6+8 (4) | 1+1 (1) | 1+1 (1) | 8+10 (6) |
| own goals | (1) | (1) | (2) |
Most Appearances – Roy Aitken with 48 appearances – missing 1 Scottish Cup game
Top Scorer – Tom McAdam with 13 goals
New Arrivals, Debuts and Departures.
The season had hardly started before Pat Stanton announced his retirement in August, having played one Friendly against Montrose, before receiving an offer to join Aberdeen as assistant to Alex Ferguson.
As Billy McNeill got his feet under the table and was able to assess the resources available to him then two players, who had become more peripheral, were set loose with Paul Wilson departing to Motherwell on the 20th September 1978 sold for £50,000; and Joe Craig joining Blackburn Rovers at the end of September for £45,000. Jim O'Donnell who had nominally also been on the books but had played most of the time out on loan to Glencairn was released in January and went to Hamilton Accies joining Jock Stein's assistant manager Davie McParland.. Until the end of contract time came round in April 1979 these were the only released players apart from Roy Baines. As back up goalkeeper to Peter Latchford, Baines had been reliable but the capture of a youth keeper from Ireland at the death of the last season, step forward Pat Bonner, had shown the young Donegal man to be a worthwhile contender for the number 2 spot and Baines was transferred back to Morton in March 1979. Bonner made his first team debut this season, his first at the club, on the 17th March 1979 against Motherwell.
The arrivals were significant this season. In September Davie Provan was bought from Kilmarnock for a club record of £125,000. His crossing ability and setting up of goals for others was to prove significant through the season. It had been thought that his arrival would cue the departure of Johnny Doyle but McNeill frquently used them in partnership on either wing. By November the need for a strong capable midfielder who could get forward as well as add to defensive duties was identified and Murdo MacLeod was signed on the 2nd November 1978 for £100,000. His arrival allowed Roy Aitken to become more of a centre half and strengthen the defense. Just before the closure of the transfer window in March 1979 a previous Bhoy, Vic Davidson was brought back to Celtic Park from Blackpool for £30,000. His arrival was required because of the frequency of injury to Alfie Conn whose knee injuries were holding him back and he was released in April. Also onto the transfer list at the end of April went Ronnie Glavin and the last remaining Lisbon Lion, Bobby Lennox, so ending the last link with a great era for the club.
The rest of the arrivals and departures were in the Reserves, Youths and groundstaff boys. Of the arrivals Jim Duffy, Jim Feeney, John Halpin, Billy Russell and David Young all went into the Reserves in their first season. Some significant names came into the youth squad: Kevin Byrne, Danny Crainie, John Creechan, Danny Donaldson, Jim Dobbin, Ian Duff, Stephen Evans, Hugh Ferry, Mark Kilgallon, John McGoldrick, David Moyes, Pat Nevin, Charlie Nicholas, Colin Reynolds, Brian Rice and Brian Stewart.
Of thoise that had played for the first team and reserves that were released in April a number found good careers elsewhere; Brian Coyne, John Dowie, Bernie Godzik, John McCluskey (retired on medical advice), Billy Russell and Robert Ward.