Celtic Park Main Stand re-development latest update | OneFootball

Various snippets over the past few days leads us to the conclusion that Celtic are NOT planning to re-develop the Main Stand at Celtic Park in the short to medium future.

Celtic Curio posted a photograph showing a pitch update after we showed our video of the Celtic Park fly-over as we looked at the working taking place to replace the playing surface at Paradise for the new season. Here’s that video…

And here is the latest view from the weekend which shows the progress that’s been made in a few weeks…

Celtic Park summer 2025, Photo on 8 June 2025 by Celtic Curio

Celtic Park Pitch Update –  ‘New pitch down and protected with a covering’ Celtic Curio updated.  This will help the new grass grow and protect the seeds from birds. He spotted something else though asking: “NEW DUGOUTS NEXT SEASON?”

Yes it certainly looks that way and that’s a great spot. On its own though it is hardly enough to back the argument that there will be no major work on the main stand in terms of a much needed redevelopment of that area of Celtic Park.

The new Main Stand at Celtic Park opened on this day in 1929, photo from 1935.

The steelwork in the Main Stand at Celtic date back to the re-build way back in 1929 while the stand was redeveloped in 1971 and has stayed that way ever since other that the facade being added back in the Centenary season 1987/88 changing the look from the front and adding much needed corporate and office space for the club and there was a seating upgrade in 1992 by the old board.

Celtic Park Mian Stand 1967

The Celtic Star has published an extensive photo history of these work from photos supplied by former Celtic Direct Tom Grant.  One of those shown below also shows the Celtic Park dugouts back in the early 1990s.

Celtic Park during WW2 – the main stand was built in 1929

The Main Stand at Celtic Park was redeveloped in 1971 using the 1929 steelwork which remains in place to this day.

Celtic Park 1987 – Work is underway to redevelop the front of Celtic Park. Photo Tom Grant/ The Celtic Star

New seating added to the ‘dear seats’at Celtic Park in 1993 by the old board. Photo Tom Grant/ The Celtic Star

With Fergus McCann building the three other stands in the mid 1990-s after his successful take-over – assisted by David Low who we’ll mention shortly – it’s quite remarkable that the Celtic Board that has easily had the most money to invest in improving the stadium and even just bringing areas of it up to acceptable standards have done  very little.

The facilities in the main stand – outside of the corporate areas – are pretty dire with for instance no hot water in the toilets and worse catering facilities that anywhere else in the ground.

And before we mention David Low, here’s a look at the Celtic dugouts in the early 1990s.

Celtic Park dug-outs 1993. Photo Tom Grant/The Celtic Star

David Low was on The Celtic Exchange Podcast at the weekend and in a wide ranging conversation with Tino covering the take-over at Ibrox and investment developments at other clubs in the Scottish Premiership, Low was asked about the possible re-development of the Main Stand at Celtic Park.

Firstly he talked about four season ticket seats his family has in the main stand just in front of the press box. He noted that for Champions League matches they are all moved from that area to accommodate the media who thereafter have to use the big tent erected outside of the front door at Celtic Park to do their post match interviews, file reports and so on.  So Low starts by saying the current Main Stand is clearly not fit for the modern game and Celtic’s needs as a club.

Then he says he reckon there will NOT be a much needed redevelopment. He also has one of the glass boxes that run behind the seats at the back of the Main Stand and he revealed that Celtic are currently upgrading these to improve the facilities and the look – which he describes as being set in the 1980s – and accordingly the prices charged are going up by 10%.

Celtic v St Mirren – Peter Lawwell and Michael Nicholson in the stands during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Wednesday November 1, 2023. Photo Andrew Milligan

Having committed to this investment in these high earning facilities, Low reckons that’s a fairly good indicator that the Board has no imminent plans to re-develop the Main Stand, even with a huge waiting list that is so big you can’t even join in these days.

Celtic Boards in 1929, in 1971, in 1987, even in 1993 were changing the look of Paradise ahead of Fergus McCann’s arrival and he more than any re-shaped Paradise. Folk thought Fergus was mad building a 60,000 all seated stadium but he was right. The demand was NOT there given the attendances but Fergus took the ‘build it and they will come’ approach, far riskier that the current situation where commitment to season tickets could be sold in advance to those on the waiting list.

The corporate facilities could be improved and increased and thee would be no need for that big tent. not happening anytime soon though by the sounds of it. Celtic Park’s grading at UEFA could increase and we could maybe even host a Champions League final.

Here’s David Low speaking to Tino at The Celtic Exchange, discussing the Main Stand among other matters.

And here’s Celtic Curio pitch and dugout post from the weekend…

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