New European format. Should Celtic increase Capacity?

Winter

Well-known member
This is hardly a new question , it's been around since the new stadium was built .

The difference for me is the new format for European competition that's going to be phased in a few seasons time.

The season ticket waiting list is reportedly 12 thousand long, on top of the 53 thousand plus already sold.
Is now the time for the club to bring the main stand into line with the rest of the stadium?

The main stand has a capacity of just under 8,000.
If this was increased more in line with the north stand, currently 27,000 capacity we could see the stadium have an increased capacity, bringing it up to somewhere in the region of an extra 15, 000 seats at least giving Celtic Park a capacity of somewhere in the region of 75,000.

This would no doubt see many empty seats for SPFL matches if not all bar one but the question is really about the change of format for Europe which will see far more European matches than we do now.

Would this be too ambitious for Celtic?
If you add current STs to the waiting list then the number is 65,000 ST holders and this is without European football.

I personally think that the attendance numbers would increase , especially for the European nights.
Though may see a closed off tier domestically.

Is a 70,000 &/or plus capacity for Celtic too much?
The restructuring of European competition appears to be the beginning ( hopefully) of a new era that could possibly see things as we know it change dramatically.

Are the club missing a trick here ?
Such numbers on a waiting list?
When those with STs are for home domestic games anyway , would not the cost of such a project pay for itself probably pretty quickly?
The McCann new stadium paid for itself quickly enough.

I think that with both Champions league and Europa league matchdays about to increase significantly this is a more pressing question than the idea of a Celtic Park hotel and with it larger numbers at CP, it could even lend itself ultimately to the building of a hotel to accommodate the bigger numbers of supporters on the fabled CP European nights.
 
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This is hardly a new question , it's been around since the new stadium was built .

The difference for me is the new format for European competition that's going to be phased in a few seasons time.

The season ticket waiting list is reportedly 12 thousand long, on top of the 53 thousand plus already sold.
Is now the time for the club to bring the main stand into line with the rest of the stadium?

The main stand has a capacity of just under 8,000.
If this was increased more in line with the north stand, currently 27,000 capacity we could see the stadium have an increased capacity, bringing it up to somewhere in the region of an extra 15, 000 seats at least giving Celtic Park a capacity of somewhere in the region of 75,000.

This would no doubt see many empty seats for SPFL matches if not all but the question is really about the change of format for Europe which will see far more European matches than we do now.

Would this be too ambitious for Celtic?
If you add current STs to the waiting list then the number is 65,000 ST holders and this is without European football.

I personally think that the attendance numbers would increase , especially for the European nights.
Though may see a closed off tier domestically.

Is a 70,000 &/or plus capacity for Celtic too much?
The restructuring of European competition appears to be the beginning ( hopefully) of a new era that could possibly see things as we know it change dramatically.

Are the club missing a trick here ?
Such numbers on a waiting list?
When those with STs are for home domestic games anyway , would not the cost of such a project pay for itself probably pretty quickly?
The McCann new stadium paid for itself quickly enough.

I think that with both Champions league and Europa league matchdays about to increase significantly this is a more pressing question than the idea of a Celtic Park hotel and with it larger numbers at CP, it could even lend itself ultimately to the building of a hotel to accommodate the bigger numbers of supporters on the fabled CP European nights.
Got to be worthy of consideration Winter. Maybe not as straightforward as we think. But aye, study the pros and cons, and who knows. As a wee aside, if it were to happen, the ten year old team from the sooside would be a tad upset. And playing catchup for evermore!
 
Got to be worthy of consideration Winter. Maybe not as straightforward as we think. But aye, study the pros and cons, and who knows. As a wee aside, if it were to happen, the ten year old team from the sooside would be a tad upset. And playing catchup for evermore!
They allegedly have a similar ST waiting list Frank but they don't have the finances to undertake such a project , not as yet anyway.
We do , most clubs with capacity over 70,000 dont fill it regularly , like Barcelona perhaps Man Utd the exception.

I'd think the pro's outweigh the cons financially and would propel Celtic into an even higher standing worldwide.
 
The main stand is looking tired and needs modernisation in the near future as the materials it is build with are nearing the end of their safe working life. If we need to redevelop the stand then it makes sense to raise it so it matches the rest of the ground. That would mean the extra seats and more income for these bigger games.
 
The main stand is looking tired and needs modernisation in the near future as the materials it is build with are nearing the end of their safe working life. If we need to redevelop the stand then it makes sense to raise it so it matches the rest of the ground. That would mean the extra seats and more income for these bigger games.
Yes , and also less supporters missing out on the big European nights because of the space that worldwide media and press are always allocated.

That main stand does indeed look very out of sync and dated compared with the rest of the stadium.
 
I think it would pay for itself in a few seasons who knows what's around the corner we could be playing in a bigger league one day and fans from clubs who bring large away support with them and the way thiers more and more European competitions thiers every chance we could fill the stadium.plus more disco lights would look amazing and it would be fantastic if we got the outside of the stadium made up the same as byarn munich aliance arena. We have got to move with the times improvements to our stadium is a good step forward.
 
I think it would pay for itself in a few seasons who knows what's around the corner we could be playing in a bigger league one day and fans from clubs who bring large away support with them and the way thiers more and more European competitions thiers every chance we could fill the stadium.plus more disco lights would look amazing and it would be fantastic if we got the outside of the stadium made up the same as byarn munich aliance arena. We have got to move with the times improvements to our stadium is a good step forward.
CP seems to be a 'must' almost bucket list of an experience for players and fans alike.
I think it would pay for itself as well Jinky.
It would be able to welcome huge numbers of European clubs supporters, at least 5,000 and I've no doubt that clubs the likes of Dortmund, Barcelona and pretty much any club with a large fanbase will fill such an allocation.

It would make CP even more spectacular than it is already and that's saying something.

Imagine 65,000 Celtic supporters and 5,000 Dortmund fans yet still having the capacity to fulfill our press/tv seating obligations which takes up far too much space anyway as usually every country in Europe and beyond have media represented at CP for European nights .

The atmosphere would be untouchable.
 
the main stand definitely needs upgrade as it makes the stadium look lopsided and spoils the look of the rest of it this upgrade is needed because apart from anything else it has prevented us becoming a five star stadium. the shoebox over on the southside is apparently a five star as they have by all accounts upgrade the facilities eg dressing room areas etc and its time to stop giving them amunition to hold it against us
 
the main stand definitely needs upgrade as it makes the stadium look lopsided and spoils the look of the rest of it this upgrade is needed because apart from anything else it has prevented us becoming a five star stadium. the shoebox over on the southside is apparently a five star as they have by all accounts upgrade the facilities eg dressing room areas etc and its time to stop giving them amunition to hold it against us
As is Hampden SPN and that's strange considering none of them can hold a candle to CP.

This 5 star thing , seems to have been replaced with ' category 4'.
What it's got to do with isnt as simple as accessibility and dressing rooms etc

If you can be bothered going through UEFA regs ( which I cant right now 🤣)

 
CP seems to be a 'must' almost bucket list of an experience for players and fans alike.
I think it would pay for itself as well Jinky.
It would be able to welcome huge numbers of European clubs supporters, at least 5,000 and I've no doubt that clubs the likes of Dortmund, Barcelona and pretty much any club with a large fanbase will fill such an allocation.

It would make CP even more spectacular than it is already and that's saying something.

Imagine 65,000 Celtic supporters and 5,000 Dortmund fans yet still having the capacity to fulfill our press/tv seating obligations which takes up far too much space anyway as usually every country in Europe and beyond have media represented at CP for European nights .

The atmosphere would be untouchable.
No doubt about it winter it's already fantastic but with the main stand built up level with the rest it would look incredible and the sound volume it would be like the colloseum I know iv spelt that wrong but you know what I mean by the way they had lions thier as well.i think it would be a great idea.i hope our club has leaders of great vision winter. Thiers going to come a day when I'll not be able to go to cp but iv 8 grand children who will fill me in what the atmosphere is like in paradise.
 
No doubt about it winter it's already fantastic but with the main stand built up level with the rest it would look incredible and the sound volume it would be like the colloseum I know iv spelt that wrong but you know what I mean by the way they had lions thier as well.i think it would be a great idea.i hope our club has leaders of great vision winter. Thiers going to come a day when I'll not be able to go to cp but iv 8 grand children who will fill me in what the atmosphere is like in paradise.
Aye CP is legendary as is jinky but with those improvements it would be amongst the best club stadia the world has to offer.
 
The main stand has probably passed its natural shelf life now and yes, there is a case for 70k capacity. It's not great that ST holders need to be relocated for CL matches also.

But I remember not that long ago we could have closed a whole stand for some of our league matches. And the cost of building a new main stand would be enormous.

I reckon it would take an invitation to the EPL or Euro league for anything significant to happen, for some years yet.
 
The main stand has probably passed its natural shelf life now and yes, there is a case for 70k capacity. It's not great that ST holders need to be relocated for CL matches also.

But I remember not that long ago we could have closed a whole stand for some of our league matches. And the cost of building a new main stand would be enormous.

I reckon it would take an invitation to the EPL or Euro league for anything significant to happen, for some years yet.
There was no European competition expansion at that time though LC20 but fair point
 
Aye, I agree with everyone, main stand is life expired, needs to go to complete the circle of the stadium, could increase the capacity by up to 20k thereby putting even further in front of the manky mob across the city financially, the dressing rooms and substructure of the old stand don’t meet standards for a top stadium denying us the chance of every holding a major European cup final, the only stumbling block, where would the spivs go for the year or so it would take to build? Couldn’t really eject any season ticket holder from any other part of the stadium

Just close your eyes for a moment and think of 80k singing “walk on” with the scarfs aloft on a champions league night under the disco lights 💚
 
Aye, I agree with everyone, main stand is life expired, needs to go to complete the circle of the stadium, could increase the capacity by up to 20k thereby putting even further in front of the manky mob across the city financially, the dressing rooms and substructure of the old stand don’t meet standards for a top stadium denying us the chance of every holding a major European cup final, the only stumbling block, where would the spivs go for the year or so it would take to build? Couldn’t really eject any season ticket holder from any other part of the stadium

Just close your eyes for a moment and think of 80k singing “walk on” with the scarfs aloft on a champions league night under the disco lights 💚
Given that its between 7-8k it holds the rest of the stadium could probably accommodate them for a season.
Throw In a couple of away tickets for Ross County and St Mirren 😛

It's going to have to be upgraded either way sooner or later, may as well be sooner with the new expanded European format.
We'd be ready for it.
 
Has anyone even considered that the (of tag) means that Celtic cannot keep growing as it would hamper the team that plays in ibrox (area close to govan) the government have kinda made it clear, until the team playing in ibrox are debt free then expanstion contracts will be looked at..
Now if CP was extended like every celtic fan knows, there will be empty seats, yet they have been paid for aka long list, now as a generous club let st holders declare that the seat is vacant on the understanding that the seat will be given to schools, charity
Groups who help people from country's that have not been as lucky as ours, now the famous people will need to relocate to the north stand..(Heated seats) big ask?, if i could spend a year two sects from the team that played from close to govan, then yeah they can aswell, answer, YES CELTIC PARK SHOULD BE A FULL STADIUM. Hh.
 

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