CELTIC PARK

This article appeared in Issue 4

The complete redevelopment of the home of Celtic has finally given the Bhoys and their loyal supporters a stadium worthy of Scottish Champions and at the same time, the stadium has become the largest club ground in Britain.  It is now bigger than Old Trafford and most importantly, bigger by some 10,000 seats from their Glasgow rivals at Ibrox Park.

The redevelopment began in October 1994, whilst the club moved into the similar looking confines of Hampden Park with its sweeping oval shape, the fans would certainly have felt at home.  Meanwhile, back at Celtic Park, only the 12,000 seat South Stand remained as the two curved terraces and the double barrelled North Stand were razed to the ground.  This left the ground too small for the 20,000+ regular supporters, hence the temporary move to Hampden.

When the fans returned to Celtic Park the following season, the signs of re-birth at the ground came in the shape of the massive new two-tier North Stand fitted out with mainly green plastic seats with ‘CELTIC’ spelt out on the lower tier with white seats.  The huge U-shaped structure wrapped around both the West and East sides of the ground to finish around 6 feet beyond the North side touchline and giving in total 22,500 seats to add to that already in the South Stand, which by now was beginning to look small.

During the 1995-96 season, with home games selling out regularly, a temporary uncovered 3,000 seat West Stand was erected (similar to that used at the Shed End of Stamford Bridge around the same time).  By the end of 1995 work was begun on the much needed extension to the East Stand.  The two tier design was carried round the East side with the upper tier ending parallel to the touchline on the South side, whilst the lower tier was continued to curve around the corner uncomfortably linking up with the sides of the South Stand, which had its former side panel removed.

This corner of the ground has lost out on around 800 seats because of the emergency vehicle access gate directly below and supporters sitting in the far reaches of the new corner also have views obstructed by the green painted steelwork supporting the South Stand roof.

The South Stand itself has been much improved since the redevelopment and now has an airy modern look to it, with translucent roof panels, repainted steelwork and green plastic seats replacing the old seats on the lower tier, which were originally red!  The press box, which hangs from the roof over the players tunnel has also been re-clad in green and bares the club name and crest with pride.  Inside, the stand holds the new club museum and models of how the ground looked at the turn of the century, and the new Celtic Park - it is well worth a visit for anybody interested in football.

With the East Stand completed by the start of the 1996-97 season, the capacity had risen to around 47,000.  Once again demands were high and the capacity was stretched frequently.  The temporary West Stand remained in place during the season, and with the newly completed East Stand costing some £6 million to build, the club was rightly constructing the stadium with the facilities the fans deserved but not at such a pace that would spell financial trouble.  The new West Stand, named after the club’s most successful manager - Jock Stein, was begun during the 1997-98 season and completed in time for the first home game of the current season.  The stand, a mirror of the East Stand, takes the capacity to over 60,000.  Add to this the possibility of a South Stand rebuild in the next few years and the ground could soon rock to the sound of 75,000 people.  For now though, approaching the ground from the London Road, the grey steelwork of the Jock Stein Stand watches over what is, in parts, a barren landscape. The roof fascia of the North Stand looms large in the background with its upper tier fully visible, the club name barely fully on the roof fascia …CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB  1888.

Those who still believe that all-seater stadiums do not hold within them the same kind of atmosphere and passion as their forerunners should visit Celtic Park, arguably one of the most impressive redevelopment’s at any club ground in Europe.