Tom Grant has opened up on the issues surrounding the redevelopment of Celtic Park during the nineties which has left the South Stand as the only relic of the pre-Fergus McCann era.
The foundations and steelwork were put in place in 1929, the current seating arrangements went in in 1971 with some tinkering and cosmetic exercises undertaken since then.
Grant sold the bulk of his shareholding to Fergus McCann in March 1994 and stayed on for two years as the new look stadium began to take shape.
Celtic spent one season at Hampden Park as three terraces were demolished while the 26,000 seater North Stand rose up over Janefield Street.
Over the course of four years two similar stands were built behind the goals before McCann left in 1999 with the Main/South Stand basically unaltered.
That took the capacity of the stadium to an impressive 60,000 but over time the shortcomings of the that stand has become increasingly obvious.
On UEFA nights a marquee appears to cope with the post match demands of the media, inside the small corridors are packed with hospitality facilities badly lacking.
Across Europe other clubs have spacious new structures that cater for players, hospitality and media as well as spectators but the South Stand at Celtic Park seating is unaltered from the days of Jock Stein’s side being prominent in Europe.
Ironically, probably the only other football structure in Europe unaltered in almost 60 years is the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon.
McCann’s successors inherited a stadium that was 80% rebuilt, 26 years after he left the club the cost of that 20% in need of modernisation has gradually climbed with £100m now the base figure for reconstruction.
Discussing the South Stand through the nineties and the extension built in 1987 (25 minutes)
Grant said:
It was all based on cost and Fergus wanted to get to the 60,000 capacity. As I remember the Main Stand/ South Stand held about 7-7,500.
The steel, I’m sure is pretty much the same as has been there since 1929, so, it’s really had a good lifespan.
We took out all of the timber, the timber flooring, everything was made of steel, the foundations were strengthened, the seats were all redone (in 1987).
Things started to develop in that stand itself with new seating but the dressing rooms were limited, gymnasium was limited, office space limited.
Then we discussed the extension out the front, we wanted that for the Centenary year. The idea was that we would move the dressing rooms to the corner of the Celtic end (west terrace), I think that a space was created to do that but it is now lounge access but it was cost, we just needed to get things done, get the 60,000 and take it from there (clearly the nineties rebuild).
Unfortunately those facilities are basically still there. The press area is inadequate, we’ve got to put a marquee out the front for a European tie.
The toilets and the catering are more or less as they were in the eighties, they might have cosmetically done up but the capacity for them are pretty limited.
The seating is limited, the access to the boxes is limited.
The lounges and the new boardroom, in the way that they were done, any stand that was being built could be built up and over them but whether that is financially feasible or not now I’m not so sure.
It would probably be best to demolish and start again. If you wanted it to be a 65,000 seater stadium or if you wanted more, but you’d need to be confident that you’d be able to sell it, the last thing that you’d want to do is to create a stadium that is too big so people don’t need to buy Season Tickets, you can get access whenever you want. It has to be kept to a hungry number.
PJ DYKES: Do you think that is the fear?
I think that it is just finances, everyone always talks about the money in the bank, which is which is great. We all want to see it continue to be spent on the playing side of it but there comes a point when that Main Stand and all of the facilities in it are just not attractive anymore. They’re not sufficient that even the safety standards if it gets to the to the point at some point.
So money will have to be spent on it. And if you wanted to increase it from the current 7,000 up to 12,000 to make it up to 65,000, I suspect the cost is in excess of £100 million at least, at least. And to do that the club can take out a long-term mortgage. You can find a nice sponsor, I’m sure there’s Guinness or someone out there would would like to have the Guinness Stand at Celtic Park.
If it were to be them or someone else with a bit more of a connection that people can relate to and get some money from them to get it completed. There’s the Emirates Arena across the across the street. So, it could be quite an area, you know, if the the Emirates wanted to get involved have a Celtic Park Emirates and the Emirates across the road but it it’s just finances, it’s finances.
With the Celtic boardroom a collection of lawyers, accountants and politicians it is almost certain that no work will take place in their lifetime to modernise the stadium that they inherited, perhaps there is a Scots Canadian in correspondence with the current board about how a new look South Stand can be financed and the income levels that it could generate?
Currently housing 7,000 seats demolishing the current structure and rebuilding could open up options for 12,000, 15,000 or an ambitious 20,000 seated structure.
Starting from the ground up the new South Stand could host a modern Superstore and Ticket Office, a club museum plus other features such as Sports Cafe and other dining options. Perhaps even the Celtic Hotel.
Celtic Park 2025 is very different to the 1985 version, it is now surrounded by the Forge and other nearby retail outlets, the Emirates/Chris Hoy Arena and modern housing that followed on from the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
While supporters regularly discuss the South Stand it seems to be yet another area of the club that the current CEO and Board of Directors refuse to discuss even though, as Grant says, it will have to be addressed at some stage, eventually.
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5 Comments
by Ozzy Man
We have millions in the bank, that’s good security and with a long term loan at paying back £10 Million per annum would not be a hardship, and it might save us spending £10million a year on dross signings.
by John Fitzpatrick
Lawwell
by Bob Marshall
Celtic should grab the bull by the horns and do it now, add 15-20,000, it’s not going to get any cheaper going forward re construction costs. Business wise, so long as they can continue to pitch for the best European competition, the future looks good for top grade football as a mass spectator sport. The current wait list is an example of spectator demand.
There’s also areas both around the stadium they can develop commercially, make it more attractive as a visit site than a bomb site in many places. Internationally expand the fan base both for spectators, perhaps split the travelling teams up for friendlies there’s enough players, and merchandise, lot of work to be done there.
by Peter Donnelly
New share option would put down a sizeable chunk of the cost of a new south stand. Fergus raised over £15m in ‘94, there would be the appetite to raise more than that today I’d bet.
by John Harrison
Celtic in Kiev after the Chernobyl disaster…..Mo Johnston took his own food to avoid contamination….perhaps Mo was ahead of the game when his suitcase was full of Mars Bars and Snickers…..