Sadness as Celtic lose another legend, Historian Pat Woods has passed away

Celtic supporters enjoy debating who the greatest Celtic player of all time is. Was it the club’s founder, Brother Walfrid? Maybe Willie Maley, the longest-serving manager. Jock Stein led the Bhoys to their best day.

One of the reasons supporters can accomplish this is due to the efforts of many men and women who have dedicated their lives to researching Celtic’s past. Pat Woods, possibly the most important researcher in understanding Celtic’s story, died yesterday (August 11, 2025).

He was born in Bangor, Wales, in 1946 and grew up in Glasgow’s east end, near the team that would define his life. He was a keen admirer who travelled all around Scotland and Europe as part of this. However, his main Celtic link was not on the pitch.

As a librarian, he spent much of his career in Glasgow’s archives. Pat also decided to spend much of his free time in those same places, which helped him gain an incredible understanding of Celtic history.

This sent him back to the club’s origins. Indeed, part of the Woods’ folklore revolves around his classic book ‘The Glory and the Dream’, which he co-wrote with Tom Campbell. This book, published just in time for Celtic’s centenary in 1988, detailed the story of a century in the club.

It was believed that his book irritated many Celtic leaders. One topic that was thoroughly investigated was the club’s founding date, which was November 6, 1887. Of course, Celtic’s badge states 1888, which is the year the club played its inaugural game, but club executives believed this weakened the 1988 celebrations!

Pat became an authority on a variety of things, the most noteworthy of which being the Bhoys’ 1967 success in Lisbon. In addition to publishing and co-authoring several books on the subject, he accumulated a vast library of research resources. These were later donated to the Mitchell Library, where Pat spent many days conducting research.

Pat’s contributions to Celtic’s tradition were recognised in 2017 with a special appreciation award at the annual Player of the Year event. Persuading him to agree this was no easy task, as he was a very private man.

Anyone who has read a Pat Woods book will have a personal favourite. Perhaps the most notable are ‘The Glory and the Dream’ and ‘Dreams and Songs to Sing’ (both co-written with Tom Campbell), as well as the classic account of Celtic’s 1967 win, ‘One afternoon in Lisbon’ (co-authored with Kevin McCarra). He also wrote essays for Celtic history fanzines like The Celt.

And his influence extends beyond the novels that bear his name. A large number of other Celtic researchers have either benefited from his assistance in producing their own publications or have been inspired by his work.

Fans will justifiably discuss who the best Celt was, with a concentration on those who wore the Hoops (or stripes before that). Hopefully, individuals who do this will think about the club historians who helped them “know the history.”

If those people were ranked in order of importance, Pat Woods would be towards the top of the list. His death leaves a significant void in our understanding of Celtic history, but it also serves as a reminder of his incredible work on the subject.