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2005-2006
Former Aberdeen F.C. player and Scotland international Gordon Strachan from Edinburgh took charge of the club on 1 June 2005, on a 12-month rolling contract, similar to O'Neill's arrangement with the club; his contract effectively extending for one calendar year from any current date. Garry Pendrey was appointed as Strachan's assistant manager.
In his first competitive match, against Artmedia Bratislava on 27 July 2005, Celtic lost 5-0 in the first leg of an important Champions League 2nd Round qualifier, suffering the worst European defeat in the club's history and the widest margin of defeat since the 1963-64 season, when the club lost 6-0 to Kilmarnock F.C. at Rugby Park.
In Strachan's first domestic match of the 2005-2006 SPL season, Celtic relinquished a 3-1 half-time lead over Motherwell F.C. at Fir Park on 30 July 2005, the game ending in a 4-4 draw after Celtic managed to equalise through a goal by Craig Beattie.
The nine goals against Celtic in Strachan's first two competitive matches is the biggest goal tally scored against the club in successive matches for 14 years.
In the return leg of the Champions League 2nd Round qualifier against Artmedia at Celtic Park, Strachan's vastly improved side won 4-0 but were eliminated from European competition 5-4 on aggregate.
However, following these setbacks, and a defeat against Rangers in the pair's first match of the season at Ibrox, Celtic recorded a series of victories, including beating Rangers twice, and returned to the top of the SPL – a vast improvement on their form at the start of the season.
Celtic knocked arch rivals Rangers out of the League cup on 19 November 2005. Celtic were knocked out of the Scottish Cup on 8 January 2006 by First Division Clyde F.C.
Celtic beat Rangers again on 12 February to make it 17 wins from the previous 21 Old Firm games. Celtic won the CIS Cup, with a 3-0 win over Dunfermline Athletic F.C. on 19 March. They have already created a new scoring record for the SPL, an 8 – 1 victory against Dunfermline in February 2006.
On 5 April 2006 Celtic clinched their 40th title thanks to a goal from John Hartson in a 1-0 win against Hearts at Celtic Park. The title was Celtic's fourth title in six years. This feat was achieved with six games remaining until the end of the season and before the SPL split. The Bhoys lifted the SPL trophy on Easter Sunday 2006 at home to Hibernian F.C., after a 1-1 draw.
In April 2006, Celtic's reserve and Under-19 teams also won their championships, completing a clean sweep of Scotland's league competitions. It was the fifth consecutive league title for the reserve team.