Glasgow Faces Challenges with Celtic Celebrations

A multi agency meeting at Hampden on Friday, chaired by Glasgow City Council, failed to come up with a plan to take on and manage the expected celebrations which will follow on from Celtic winning the SPFL Premiership title.

If two results go a certain way this weekend Celtic could clinch their 55^th Scottish championship with a home win over Kilmarnock on April 12.

MSP Kaukab Stewart brought together various stakeholders to discuss the issue but no agreement was reached despite the meeting being well sign posted.

Title winning celebrations prior to Lockdown were spontaneous and localised but after two invasions of George Square and turning the city centre into a virtual warzone in 2020, Celtic fans decided to make the most of their domestic domination.

Over the last three years Celtic fans have turned the area from the Gallowgate through Glasgow Cross into the Trongate into a party zone, blessed with sunny weather there has been a festival feel to it. Social media clips went viral.

Public transport has come to a standstill, there has been a couple of unsavoury incidents but nothing more than would be expected in any big city across any given weekend.

Some basic provisions such as skips, wheelie bins and additional toilets would make a huge difference but it seems that those sort of facilities were outwith the planning of the City Council.

Perhaps the inclusion of flutes, drums and marches past Catholic Churches might have got the City Council more engaged.

After three years of hand-wringing it seems that there is still no plans in place for a colourful event that shows the city centre in a great light with social media providing more coverage than any slick and expensive marketing campaign.

Covering Friday’s meeting at Hampden The Herald reports:

No plans have been put in place ahead of expected celebrations at the end of this year’s football season despite a “productive discussion” last week.
At a meeting at Hampden Park on Friday, March 28, MSP Kaukab Stewart brought together community councils for Merchant City, Trongate and Calton and representatives for Celtic FC, Rangers FC, the SPFL, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council in a bid to avoid the ‘disruption’ seen in previous years.
Residents were given the opportunity to tell clubs about their experience of anti-social behaviour from unofficial parties in Trongate and George Square, which have seen thousands of pounds worth of damage caused.
However, despite agreements “more should be done” to encourage fans not to gather in the city centre, no plans have been put forward ahead of an expected gathering at the end of the season next month.
Stewart said: “I convened a meeting with local community councils, the Scottish Professional Football League, Rangers FC and Celtic FC along with Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council to discuss how to stop a repeat of the terrible scenes that have taken place in Glasgow city centre in the last few years following the conclusion of the Scottish Premier League.
“We had a very productive discussion with local residents being able to tell their real life experience directly to the clubs and it was agreed that whilst celebrating the success of Glasgow’s football clubs is important and indeed welcome, the scenes and disruption that has been experienced by residents and businesses was unacceptable.
“It is clear that putting a solution in place is complex, as there are a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration. However, I was pleased that there was agreement around the table that more should be done and that further discussions will take place to look at long term plans, which will include local residents and the voice of the fans.
“I am reassured that further discussions will take place and that together we can work to improve future celebrations.”

If Hibs win at Ibrox on Saturday and Celtic win away to St Johnstone the following day a win at home to Kilmarnock on April 12 would put Celtic 19 points clear with Barry Ferguson’s side having six matches left to play.

Whatever the permutations Celtic are certain to clinch the title at some stage over the next few weeks and are likely to round off the season with a home match on May 16/17 where the SPFL Premiership trophy will be presented.

Recently Newcastle City Council staged a celebration for the League Cup winners that brought out 250,000 people out to celebrate the success of Eddie Howe’s side.

It seems that the authorities in Scotland and Glasgow in particular would rather downplay the success of Scotland’s Most Successful Club which will leave fans to celebrate in their own way.

Creating an area inside Glasgow Green for a formal celebration alongside an event being staged in tandem at Celtic Park seems to be too logical and sensible for the ‘stakeholders’ to put together.

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