Details

From its very earliest days Celtic has attracted a faithful and vociferous support willing to travel near and far to support their team.

The earliest form of organised supporters groups sprung up very soon after the club’s birth and were known as ‘Brake Clubs’ – so called because of the large horse drawn wagons they travelled in. These large wagons could hold 25 supporters and brakes would make their way from across Glasgow to Parkhead and beyond to cheer on their favourites.

This horse powered form of transport was suited for getting to matches within the city and in the neighbouring areas of Lanarkshire, Dumbartonshire and Renfrewshire - although for matches further afield the train was really the only viable option. The earliest Brake Club was formed, naturally, enough in the Calton parish of St Mary’s in Glasgow’s east end, the very place Celtic itself was formed.

This brake club and most others were essentially extensions of already established branches of the League of the Cross. The League was a temperance society set up by the Catholic church. Each parish in Glasgow had a branch and it was from these groups that the Brake Clubs emerged.

In the early days of the club the Brakes would meet at Carlton Place on the south bank of Clyde in the city centre and close to the traditional Celtic heartlands of the Gorbals. From this point the wagon would travel in a noisy and colourful convoy to the game. As the Brakes grew in number an annual gathering of the ‘United Celtic Brake Clubs’ would be held.

Each brake would proudly display their own unique banner with a picture of a favourite player. In the above photo, there is a mysterious anomaly. The youngster in the centre is wearing hoops, but at that time Celtic hadn't played in the hoops but in vertical stripes. The top he is wearing is a curious point for some. The "St Mary's Celtic Brake Club Banner" can be viewed by anyone who wishes to pop their head into the "Baird's Bar" in the Glasgow Gallowgate area.

It’s only natural given the social climate of the time that these large groups of mostly working class, Irish catholic men would contain a political element and it was not unusual to see banners in support of Irish nationalism and trade unions. True to the founding traditions of Celtic the Brakes also raised substantial money for charity.

With virtually all the Brake Clubs being born from catholic parishes in Glasgow it was equally no surprise to find that faith too had a strong influence on the opinions of the members. This was best illustrated in 1897 when certain of the Brakes called for Celtic to ditch their non-discriminatory traditions and field an all Catholic team. Thankfully the club comprehensively dismissed the idea, something that most others also agreed with.

By the 1920s the once thriving Brake Club movement was in an irreversible decline. The emergence of the motorcar and the growth of the railways meant supporters were now finding independent means to attend games. An increased number of alcohol related violence involving Brake Clubs, which had ironically emerged from the temperance movement, also saw membership figures dwindle or saw the clubs evolve into different types of supporter's groups.

It's quite an irony how times have changed. Football fans are hardly icons of innocence when it comes to alcohol, but the early Brake Clubs stem from the alcohol abstinence and temperance movements, likely taking advantage of their organisation skills to push their message through football (it didn't work!). Various of the Celtic board and early players were though pub owners and licensees, or as one smart-alec described the Celtic board as being composed of "six publicans and a Glass [i.e. John Glass]". Times have changed in many ways.

While the Brake Clubs may now be an ended chapter in the history of Celtic, their legacy is significant and lives on in thousands of supporters clubs found & located across the globe today.

St Andrew's Celtic Brake Club Banner

Sarsfield Celtic Brake Club Banner

Sarsfield Celtic Supporters 1952

"The Sarsfield Brake Club had a banner of my great great granda Davie Hamilton on their club flag. They stole it from an Orange walk and painted him over it!"
Sean Hamilton (GG Grandson of Davie Hamilton) on a Davie Hamilton Brake Club banner (see Brake Club) (we don't believe this banner is now still around, the Davie Hamilton banner is pictured above.)

Garngad Emerald?

The Old Forge Tavern was situated at 194 Garngad Road, (Royston Road)

Source John Goroven author of oldglasgowpubs

St Mary's League

The Tally Ho Brake Club.

Hamilton Celtic Supporters Club for the rest of us

UNITED CELTIC BRAKE CLUBS OF SCOTLAND SILVER BADGE.

A very rare silver Celtic Brake Club badge which would be worn on the buttonhole Fully hallmarked for Birmingham 1919.




The Badge is the property of Tom O'Neill which was purchased by his Father.

Some Background on Brake Clubs