The news that we have, again, almost sold out our season tickets before the waiting list fans are even offered a chance at them re-opens an old debate at our club; is it time to consider spending a few quid and increasing the stadium capacity?
The argument against this has always been the same one; how often, realistically, could you expect to fill a stadium of 75,000 plus fans for Scottish football matches? I’ve always felt that the answer is the same one Fergus knew about way back when; if you build it, they will come.
There are games in the campaign just past when we’d have sold it out, and if Champions League Group Stage football is about to become the norm – and changes at UEFA mean that it’s more than likely – you know we’d fill it for those games.
I think we’d fill it for most games.
Adding 15,000 onto the gate would also give us yet another massive structural advantage over our rivals, making our stadium 50% larger than theirs. That is a permanent, unshakable, unalterable advantage of quite significant proportions.
We already make between £5 and £10 million more than they do from having a 60,000 all-seater to their 50,000 … we could double that at a stroke and that translates into a spending differential which they will struggle to make up even in a good year.
The naysayers will do what they always do and talk about how unfeasible the project is, and cast doubts on its viability. But that’s what they said when Fergus unveiled his plans for the current stadium, when our season ticket base was virtually non-existent.
There was never any question in his mind that we would fill the stadium every week, just as I don’t have any doubts that we could sell those 15,000 extra seats quite easily.
The debate ought to be had. All we’re doing is limiting our own potential, and this club should be thinking bigger than that. Stadium expansion is only one element of that, but it’s one that would be guaranteed to generate additional income in perpetuity.
It would be good to get it done, but not at the expense of transfers, it would also be great if we had a billionair majority shareholder who would be willing to subsidise this.
I don’t think now is the time to do be spending the sort of money it would take on such a project. We are heading into uncertain times where plague and famine are on the horizon..people are going to be struggling for years to come to try and make ends meet and as such i can see crowds dwindling right across the footballing spectrum maybe even to the point of Celtic selling maybe as little as thirty thousand STs…..people aren’t going to be able to afford to feed themselves let alone splash out on STs or any other form of entertainment. Hard choices await our future.
Nonsense utter nonsense
Only fools and the blind can’t see the perfect storm that’s coming.
Tom your a right negative guy or maybe an orc that last post hinted at their bile! weaponising of you know what! I really hope I am wrong
Hi,this is not a new idea ,but it is a good one ,but….years ago wasn’t it not disclose about the underground structure being unsuitable for extensions in the area of the main stand ? Something maybe Glasgow council engineers could answer for you ? It would make for an interesting follow up story for your readers ,???
There is no problem, fergus decided to keep the main stand only because the front area had only been build 6 years previously otherwise the lot was going be bulldozed. That is a fact and on record many like myself wanted it built from Strachan but maybe this is better as we can have a stadium 72,000 plus if we use symetary , build the corners up first say from march at end of one season then by August build over main stand like liverpool did rough 18 month build so only 1 full season without it this be amazing!!
From Scrach! Not strachan ha ha predictive ruins my life
Always thought, after how much work Fergus did, there should have been a stand after him.
i agree 100% im a 60yo celtic fan from England its long over due there is a massive fan base down here but is almost impossible getting tickets to the games at celtic park
Said this years ago 20 in fact! Also no stadium is build with any guarantee its full every week! None ! If we finished the stadium in symmetrical terms it be 72,000that should been done long ago! It llook amazing and put another mark down that we a million times bigger than any club here and any in uk in real fan terms! It be amazing a real forward thinking ceo would be doing this ,that whole hotel thing was crazy this should always been next phase tho could buildd an hotel into said expansion smaller level but still feasible. Think big you get rewarded fans are there plus interest sky high and another factor we could have cheaper season tickets for families lower income unemployed or retired people surely with our club history that be apt. Do it it Celtic have a Celtic park that nothing comes close to! As they poles at main stand are embarrassing as are the restricted views , do this Cektic
Why my comment taken down ,I meant nonsense to negative guy that say not to do it!
I’ve been banging this drum for years, but, unfortunately it ‘aint happening on Dermot Desmond’s watch. Never at any time since DD has had the final say has he ever mentioned a main stand upgrade. Never. DD is only interested in the profit,bonus, dividend model. He found a kindred spirit in Peter Lawwell.
Clubs throughout Europe are building new or upgrading existing, moving with the times and meeting spectator expectations.
It will take a new ownership model before Celtic Park gets a major upgrade. Sadly.
Sadly I think yiour right and I bet under new stewardship it would top priority these peope on that board well desmond basically! As he runs the lot! We he / they have held club back we could been so si much more! Disgraceful really
Another 8-10 would be enough. Knock down the South Stand and build a two tier stand there with loads of corporate seats….maybe even a small 3rd tier in the middle purely corporate, this would add ££££££. Also massively improve the club changing rooms tunnel office etc and make it a 5star stadium….build a real top quality experience fo rplayers and fans. Massive bars and restaurants and as I say like 8-10 new seats with 1-2 thousand corporate. GO big on corporate its massive £££££
Celtic should definitely get another 15 thousands seats into the football ground and it will give them more money with champions league money together would bring better players wanting to come to Celtic and making Celtic 1 off the best teams in the world of football Hail Hail ????
Defo should be looked into. Even if the name sayer above is right (re; plagues and famines) then a 70k+ stadium would allow the board to offer reduced prices season tickets (unlikely as that is…) in such a situation without it being as crippling.
Could not agree more, would also become one of Europes largest stadia and a UEFA 5 star stadium available for European finals, creating a further revenue stream. Vision required at board level.
Trouble is this would take vision from the leadership…. something sadly lacking
I think they would sell them comfortably, but there would be a definite no show on lots of their domestic games, also what would this cost?, kind of an exciting prospect nevertheless
I totally agree on an expansion of the stadia it would generate more money and fill the stadium. I would also like to see the much hyped & talked about hotel & super store being built as a priority.
I have always thought we should do it, but now it’s probably too late. Celtic Park is not a modern stadium any more, it’s getting on for a quarter of a century old, which makes it middle-aged now. Many of the English stadiums built in the same era in the wake of the Taylor report are being replaced now. Bear in mind Celtic Park was built to a price at the time, it will probably need to be replaced within the next ten to twenty years anyway as it becomes more expensive to maintain. It might be best to look at the issue then.
I agree it’s a grwat idea but to quote every twat unionist politician since 2014 “now is not the time”. Let’s see if we can get a few years of continuous CL group stages behind us, with a few players sold on at a huge profit to ensure it isn’t too big a financial risk for the club. Also, as mentioned above, there are other external factors that cannot be ignored. Covid, Monkeypox, and the threat of Nuclear Armageddon might put the kibosh on things…
According to Phil Mac, there are 2 proposals to expand the capacity, the only difference being by how much.
No doubt about it
Additionally, the upgrade could have a significant impact upon our ability to host Champions league/Europe league finals. This would also help put Scotland, an independent Scotland, firmly on the world stage of football.