The Parkhead area of Glasgow is the home ground of the Celtic Football Club… the biggest football stadium in Scotland and the 8th largest in the U.K. The soccer team has been playing here since 1892 but in the past concerts, public speeches and other sports tournaments have also been organised here. The Celtic Park (lovingly called Paradise by fans) has an illustrious history and its stadium tours are extremely popular.
The merchandise of Celtic Football Club now retails globally and can be brought from the club’s shop or online from the e-shop on the official website. In 2002, BBC Radio Five Live conducted a test poll to find UK’s favourite sports venue… Celtic Park secured 60% of the votes!! When in Glasgow one shouldn’t miss the chance of dropping by the ground of one of the UK’s most loved Soccer brands.
History
Since 1892, Celtic Park has been home to the Celtic Football Club when the club shifted away from a close-by ground that was also known as the Celtic Park after a row over the rent. The shifting of the club grounds to its new location has been eulogised as ‘the shift to paradise’. The official opening of Celtic Park was on 13th August 1892 at the event of the annual sports day of the club. The first match was played after a week and it was here that Celtic smashed Renton at 4-3.
The original Celtic stadium in its new location had an oval shape with a cycling track, a wood stand and a pavilion that stood adjacent to Janefield street. It had a stand named Grant Stand built in honour of the club’s director James Grant… unfortunately this and other parts of the stadium were destroyed in a 1927 fire.
4 years later a gorgeous new main stand was built on the other side. History says that this was the world’s first double-decker stand for a football ground. The Celtic could now accommodate 50,000 people. Many years later other modern elements were incorporated in the stadium like floodlights and concrete cover of the north terrace and the roofing.
In 1904, the Janefield street stand caught fire and was badly damage leading to a complete replacement. It also acquired a terrace at this point in time and got the nickname ‘Hayshed’. The Celtic seemed to be jinxed as in 1927 the double-decker Grand Stand got burnt and in 1929 a new even grander Main stand was unveiled (designed by Archibald Leitch).
In 1938, 92,000 viewers turned up to see the Old Firm. This was well above the maximum refurbished capacity of Celtic Park i.e. 80,000. It was in 1957 that the Celtic Park got a new roof cover and in 1966 that the Hayshed terrace got a new roof. The Hayshed terrace got a new nickname ‘the Jungle; because of its derelict state and over-enthusiastic aggressive fans. By this time like their rival Rangers at the Ibrox, the Celtic was in bad financial stress (from the early 1980s to the 1990s).
On 15th April 1989, 50,000 people gathered at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield for the FA semi-final soccer match between Nottingham and Liverpool. 3,000 fans were crammed inside a standing room meant to occupy just 1600 and in the resulting excitement and uproar 96 fans were crushed to death… a tragedy still referred to as the Hillsborough disaster.
The aftermath of this disaster was tough for all football venues including the Celtic as the Taylor Final Report (named after the chief investigating officer of the Hillsborough case Taylor) proposed several changes. The stipulation that football stadiums should replace standing terraces with all seating areas was especially difficult for Celtic which had refurbished its seating plans a few years earlier.
A lot of disputes and irrational plans followed and the club was driven to the point of bankruptcy. However, no changes were made to the Celtic Park till its fortune changed in 1994 when Fergus McCann took over the stadium. Immediately a huge redevelopment project was kicked off and funds were raised through a share issue. Fergus McCann stepped in with the solution that a new terrace section gets replaced with a brand new stand. This was a 40 million dollar plan that was executed in 4 years and this was when the new stands were created. The statues of Jock Stein, Jimmy Johnstone etc. were all erected at this point.
During the refurbishment phase, both ends of the stadium ground were demolished and the Celtic became completely non-functional… even home matches were played in Hampden Park for a couple of years. In 1995 a brand new North stand was built and the Celtic opened to the public again. Work continued to progress on both sides of the stand and new construction phases took place at some or the other sections in the stadium till 1998. Since then the Celtic Park has only grown in terms of its achievements and popularity. Fans, locals and tourists call the Celtic Park ‘Paradise’ and ‘Parkhead’ as nicknames.
The Celtic has also been used as a concert venue by the Who (1976), Prince (1992), Bryan Adams (1992). Wet Wet Wet played there in September 1997; Billy Graham had used the Celtic Park for an outdoor event in 1991. More recently the 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony was inaugurated here by Queen Elizabeth II. In 2018 Celtic Park hosted the first rugby union match of the Pro 14 (Glasgow vs. Leinster).
What to See & Do
The Celtic Park is now a rectangular stadium that’s split into 4 large sections; North, West (Jock Stein), East (Lisbon Lions) and South (Main) stands. The north, west and east stands form a continuous two-tiered loop. Both the end stands each has a capacity of 13,000 while 27,000 people can be accommodated in the North Stand.
The Main stand holds just 8,000 but it’s the most visit-worthy especially if you are a history fan. This is the oldest part of the Celtic and was built in 1929 though it got a fresh roof in 1971 and a fresh façade in 1988. Look up to the main stand roof and you will see translucent sheets… these were added to allow more sunlight to reach the pitch. The roof girder of the Main Stand holds a glass-fronted box that used to contain the press box… this now holds two executive boxes.
Look towards the big horizontal truss that is flanked by a couple of retractable columns… these provide extra stability in case of heavy winds and snow by swinging down to a pre-fixed point on the rear wall of the earlier paddock. Also stop for some moments to admire the statues of Brother Walfrid, Jimmy Johnstone, Jock Stein and Billy McNeill outside the main stand.
For the record Andrew Kerins, an Irish Marist was the founder of the Celtic Football Club (explains the Club’s strong Irish loyalties)… he was nicknamed Brother Walfrid. Jimmy Connelly Johnstone (nickname Jinky) was one of the most admired players of the Celtic… he scored 129 goals in his 515 appearances and was voted the best player ever by the club’s fan club in 2002. John Jock Stein was a football player, manager and coach who led Celtic to 9 unbroken successive victories in the Scottish League championships between the years 1966 and 1974. William Mcneill (nicknamed Billy) had a 60-year association with the Celtic and he played the roles of a player, manager and club ambassador. He won 31 big trophies in his combined stint as a player and manager with the Celtics.
The North stand is the most superior stand in terms of facilities and technology used. It has maximum seating capacity despite being squeezed in a small space between the pitch and east necropolis cemetery. This is a triple-tiered auditorium and part of the upper-tier is cantilevered over the graveyard and this caused a lot of controversy between the club management and local residents. The top and the bottom tiers have stands and between the two there are 18 executive boxes and a restaurant. The lower section of this stand has a heating technology… operable by a footswitch (a novelty in those days).
The East stand is one of the newest stands …it opened in 1996 and was renamed in 2000 inspired by the Celtic team Lisbon Lions that won the 1967 Euro Cup Final. The Away team fans are always housed in the Lisbon Lions Stand… which stands in the southeast corner of the ground. This stand has a few sections with restricted views and so Celtic offers big discounts on these seats.
Stadium exteriors are decorated with a display of printed banners that comprise 15 green coloured sections (21 meters high) at each end of the stadium. Together the display reads ‘Paradise’ and shows images of famous players in the history of the club. There are 58 such large images showing different players. There are many more display panels at the main stand exteriors and the end stand and they show significant events and trophy wins via photography banners.
Tickets & Tours
You can book online a guided tour to the Celtic Park Stadium through this Viator site.
To buy a ticket for the Celtic FC Matches you can either turn up at the Celtic Ticket Office at the Stadium or buy them online at their eTicketing Website. You would need to login/ register and then navigate to the chosen match on the home page before selecting your preferred seat and then providing your card details on the checkout page.
It’s also possible to book tickets on phone by calling 44 0 871 226 1888. There are a few retail outlets of the Celtic at Sauchiehall Street or Argyle Street. On the day of the match, the Celtic Ticket office is open till kick-off. On weekdays tickets are available from 10.30 a.m. till kick-off while on Saturdays and Sundays tickets are available from 10.30 a.m. till kick-off (i.e. usually till 3 p.m.).
The average ticket price is about 26 pounds and some central seats with the best view on the Main Stand sell for around 31 pounds (indicative prices). Seats with restricted views may sell for less.
Phone: 0871 226 1888, +44 871 226 1888 (overseas)
Call between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
The Stadium Tour provides behind-the-scene access to the restricted areas of the Celtic Football Club. There is a trip to the Celtic Park boardroom, dugout, tunnel and dressing room. There is also a verbal and visual description of the history of the club including some well-known and little known facets of the club’s heritage and culture. Usually, the tour guide meets guests at the tour entrance of Celtic Park to the left of the big reception area to the south stand of the stadium.
Stadium tours usually last for 90 minutes and are a very enlightening and interesting experience. However, since Celtic is a running stadium the availability and duration of Stadium tours and in particular access to some areas like the dressing room is subject to the match schedule and the conveniences of the players. There is also a board room/ trophy room visit where you can see all the trophies on display.
It’s thrilling for fans to visit the locker room and be able to sit on their favourite player’s seat. The shirts of the current players are put up for display in the changing room. It’s especially amazing to put on the shirts for a photograph. The guides are fun, friendly and informative… most of the tours include the tour guide walking down the tunnel and acting as the captain while the visitor group walks down as the team. The last stop of the tour is mostly the Celtic Club shop where you will get a wide range of team merchandise, shirts, and souvenirs.
Check the match schedule from the official website of the Celtic and plan your tour so that it doesn’t coincide with a match day.
Tour Times
- From Monday to Thursday the tours are offered at 11.00 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. only
- On Friday the tours are offered every hour from 12.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m.
- On Saturdays (non-match days) the tours are offered every half an hour at 10.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.
- On Sundays (non-match days) the tours are offered every half an hour from 10.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m.
- On Saturday and Sunday when there is a 3 pm kick off the tours are offered at 9.30 a.m., 10.00 a.m., 10.30 a.m. and 11.0 a.m. only.
Tour prices start from 13.50 pounds per adult. You can view the entire tour price list here (changes with season).
There are other stadium tour options like the Breakfast and Tour option which offers a breakfast roll and a hot/ cold beverage followed by a stadium tour. This is available only on weekends which don’t have a scheduled match and is priced at 16 euros per adult.
The Number 7 restaurant (at Jock Stein Stand) is the Celtic’s in-house fine dining option that’s best known for its great views of the pitch. A decent carvery menu is on offer but the restaurant is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (except if there is a match on). On Fridays, the restaurant opens from 1.30 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant opens from 12 p.m., while last bookings every day are at 7.30 p.m. A 3-course carvery is on offer (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options) and is priced at 23 pounds per person. There is also a special celebration package that includes sparkling wine and cake… this is priced at 27 pounds per adult.
However, it’s much more cost-effective to take the Tour and Dine option or the Tour and Dine Celebration tour… these are priced at 32 pounds per adult (and 85 pounds per family i.e. 2 adults and 2 kids) and 38 pounds per adult (and 105 pounds per family) respectively. As the name indicates, Tour and Dine refers to a proper stadium tour followed by the 3-course meal while the Tour and Dine Celebration refers to a stadium tour followed by a celebratory meal including wine and cake.
Call well in advance to book at 0141 551 4288… booking fee is 5 pounds per table.
The Celtic Park and the Wellpark brewery have tied up together to offer a combined stadium brewery tour that may be of interest to you. The guided tour of the stadium is offered first after which visitors have to make their own way to the Tennents Visitor Center at Wellpark Brewery. The brewery tour will expose guests to the distillation process of Tennents and includes a Tennent’s tasting at the end. The brewery tour lasts for about an hour and 15 minutes and is great fun except that you need to ascend and descend 100 steps. The stadium and brewery tour is priced at 23 pounds per adult.
For the combined stadium and brewery tour there are two-time slots (11 a.m. stadium tour followed by 2 p.m. brewery tour and 1.30 p.m. stadium tour followed by 4 pm brewery tour).
For more information on tours and booking:
Email [email protected] or call 0871 226 1888
Location & Contacts
The Celtic Park is not too far from Glasgow city centre… it’s about 2 miles to the east on the popular London Road. You can take Bus 43 or 64 that will bring you from the city centre to the ground. Just catch the bus from Ingram Street and get down at London road… the journey will take only 30 minutes and you will find a bus every 30 minutes too. From Glasgow Central Rail station you will get Bus number 61 and 62 that will leave you near Gallowgate Road (about 5 minutes of walk from the stadium).
You can also opt to take a train from Glasgow Central Station to either Bridgeton or Dalmarock. It will take you just 5 minutes to make the rail journey but you need to walk for 15 minutes afterwards to reach Celtic Park from either Dalmarock or Bridgeton. If you are around Queen Street then you can take a train for Carntyne or Bellgrove from the Queen Street Station. This is again a 5-minute rail journey but afterwards, you would require half an hour’s walk to reach Celtic Park.
Celtic Park, Glasgow, G40 3RE, Scotland
Email: [email protected], Official Website
You can also contact the visitor centre for any queries or specific questions. It’s better to contact the visitor centre in advance if you have any accessibility issues.
Visitor Centre Contact Details:
Sales Phone: +44 (0) 871 226 1888, Email: [email protected]
If you are driving, exit the M74 at Tollcross and then follow the London Road West for 2 miles till you reach Celtic Park. Continue driving in the same direction and you will reach the City Centre. In case you are headed to the stadium from M8 then exit at junction 14 and drive south on Alexandra Park Street till you reach London Road. Turn left onto London Road and then keep going west till you find the Celtic Stadium on your left. Access by car to the stadium is via either Springfield Road or Janefield Street. You need to drive under the north stand and keep bearing left… parking lot is near the adjacent superstore.
There are some pubs around Gallowgate (north of the stadium). If you want to check in to nice restaurants then going off to Glasgow City centre is a better idea… this is mostly a commercial and residential area. Most tourists prefer to try out the Celtic’s in-house restaurant and lounge though for a more inclusive experience. However, if going into the nearest restaurant around is still your priority then there is an Indian restaurant called Tandoori Choice that’s about 500 meters away in Springfield Road. Then there is Real McCoy on London Road and The Roll Shop on Springfield Road.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.