Eight weeks on from the last visit from Drone Audit Scotland little appears to have changed at Barrowfield.
The futuristic training complex is being used by the Celtic Ladies team and some Academy groups but the site has still to be completed with no opening announcement.
Work began in 2023 and was expected to be completed in November 2024 to provide a brand new training base for the Academy, Ladies Team and Celtic B squad.
The centrepiece was a full sized FIFA approved indoor pitch where friendly matches could be played as well as providing year round guaranteed training facilities.
Until now the existing Barrowfield set up has been used, although often decried it has provided three good quality grass pitches as well as one of artificial turf on a secluded complex with three of the pitches tree-lined, the southern most running down to the allotments and the north bank of the River Clyde.
When completed the facilities appear to be better than those used by the first team at Lennoxtown with the only facility missing being a small stand which would allow competitive matches to be staged.
It seems that 90% of the work has been completed but with Celtic completely silent on the construction there are a variety of rumours involving panning and construction consent going around to explain why the training complex has yet to be officially opened.
Drone Audits Scotland has provided an interesting insight into the progress of the site but struggled to find much in the way of change since visiting at the start of June, the pitches have been fully laid and maintained with just the official opening awaited.
Security Guard: 3 minutes 15 It is open, the Ladies team is training here, younger Academy teams also using it.
Drone Audits Scotland: 5 min 50 Nothing has changed in 10 weeks, basically we are no further forward.
On 10 May 2024 Celtic announced:
Today marks a significant milestone as the roof frames at Barrowfield Training Centre are set to rise for the first time, symbolising Celtic’s unwavering commitment to fostering success and nurturing talent, both on and off the pitch.
The creation of the new Barrowfield Training Centre stands as a testament to Celtic’s vision of creating a multi-purpose facility that will serve as the new training ground for Celtic FC Women’s first team.
This state-of-the-art complex will not only be the dedicated training ground for Celtic FC Women as they sharpen their skills in the pursuit of trophies, but it will also serve as the home for Celtic’s boys’ and girls’ Academies, helping the club maintain a significant presence in the local community.
The article concluded with:
Celtic FC are committed to leaving no stone unturned during the redevelopment of Barrowfield, ensuring top-notch facilities for the future of our Ghirls and Bhoys.
As we embark on this transformative journey, we are ready to script the next chapter in the history of the club. The new centre is scheduled to be complete by November of this year.
On 15 September 2023 Michael Nicholson told the Celtic website:
We are proud to commit to this significant new development and we are sure it will be one which will deliver great benefit to the Club for many years to come.
Supporting the development of young players and investing in women’s football are two key elements of the Club’s strategy and the new training centre will be hugely important in supporting our objectives in these areas.
Some of the Club’s greatest ever players have been trained and developed through its Academy system and we hope that many more young players will follow in their footsteps, benefitting from this new facility, with the ultimate aim of reaching Celtic’s first teams.
It was also very important for us to provide our Women’s first team with a high quality, dedicated training centre, to allow the team to build on the great success they have been enjoying.
September 2024 and the indoor pitch arena and construction work is well underway.
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3 Comments
by Dan
A drone only sees the external of a building and the majority of the work is inside. So the article is yet more negativity about the club.
Do you know what changes to the original plans have been requested through the planning process?
Do you know if all of the relevant materials have been available
Throughout the build?
This is not just a shell with a pitch. There will be high tech heating and air conditioning systems, special lighting systems & much more
Try making yourself useful by posting positive things about Celtic instead of negatives that you have no proof or support to justify
by Justshatered
If the club kept us up to date we wouldn’t need to speculate. It was supposed to open in November 2024 and hasn’t so it isn’t outrageous to ask why.
by Editor
I will publish anything I like, anytime I like, you can head to CQN and other sites for all the sugar coated news from the most admired club in Europe, the favourite club of HMRC for the regular Corporation Tax payments.