Belfast Celtic FC was founded in 1891, and was one of the most successful teams in Ireland until they withdrew from the Irish League in 1949 at the end of a season which had seen continual attacks on the club and its supporters.   The club was named after Celtic F.C. and was founded on the same principle of raising community spirit and money for charity. Their home was Celtic Park on the Donegall Road in West Belfast. Celtic won their first league title in 1900 after beating fierce rivals Linfield by a single goal. The political violence that engulfed Ireland in the 1920s spilled on to the terraces of the Irish League and Celtic was forced to withdraw in 1920, not rejoining until 1924.  The club won four successive titles between 1925 and 1929 and five more titles during the 1930s.   The last of their fourteen titles came in 1947-48.  The end came on Boxing Day 1948 at the annual Linfield-Celtic game at Windsor Park. Celtic was winning for most of the match but Linfield equalised in the last minute. Linfield fans invaded the pitch and attacked several Celtic players including Jimmy Jones who suffered a broken leg.  The Celtic board felt that the attack had shown that the police were unable to protect Celtic fans and players and the feeble sanctions imposed on Linfield by the League prompted Celtic to withdraw again until they felt that the safety of their supporters could be assured. After the 1948/49 season Belfast Celtic would never again play a competitive match but played several friendlies including an historic victory over Scotland in the United States in 1949 and a match against Celtic F. C. in 1952. A final match was played against Coleraine in June 1960.