From 1945 onwards numbered shirts slowly came into use throughout Scotland, before becoming compulsory in 1960. By this time Celtic were the last club in Britain to adopt the use of numbers on the team strip to identify players. The traditionalist and idealistic Celtic chairman, Robert Kelly, baulked at the prospect of the famous green and white hoops being disfigured, and as such Celtic wore their numbers on the players' shorts. This unusual tradition survived until 1994, although numbered shirts were worn in European competition from 1975 onwards. Celtic's tradition of wearing numbers on their shorts rather than on the back of their shirts was brought to an end when the Scottish Football League instructed Celtic to wear numbers on their shirts from the start of the 1994–95 season. Celtic responded by adding numbers to the top of their sleeves, however within a few weeks the football authorities ordered the club to attach them to the back of their shirts, where they appeared on a large white patch, breaking up the green and white hoops.
from 1945 onwards numbered shirts slowly came into use throughout scotland before becoming compulsory in 1960 by this time celtic were the last club in britain to adopt the use of numbers on the team strip to identify players the traditionalist and idealistic celtic chairman robert kelly baulked at the prospect of the famous green and white hoops being disfigured and as such celtic wore their numbers on the players' shorts this unusual tradition survived until 1994 although numbered shirts were worn in european competition from 1975 onwards celtic's tradition of wearing numbers on their shorts rather than on the back of their shirts was brought to an end when the scottish football league instructed celtic to wear numbers on their shirts from the start of the 1994–95 season celtic responded by adding numbers to the top of their sleeves however within a few weeks the football authorities ordered the club to attach them to the back of their shirts where they appeared on a large white patch breaking up the green and white hoops