Celtic F.C. - Stadium

Stadium

Celtic's stadium is Celtic Park, which is in the Parkhead area of Glasgow. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the seventh-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford, Twickenham, Wembley, the London 2012 Olympic Stadium and the Millennium Stadium. It is commonly known as Parkhead or Paradise.

Celtic first laid out a ground in the Parkhead area in 1888. The club moved to a different site in 1892, however, when the rental charge was greatly increased. The new site was developed into an oval shaped stadium, with vast terracing sections. The record attendance of 83,500 was set by an Old Firm derby on 1 January 1938. The terraces were covered and floodlights were installed between 1957 and 1971. The Taylor Report mandated that all major clubs should have an all-seated stadium by August 1994. Celtic was in a bad financial position in the early 1990s and no major work was carried out until Fergus McCann took control of the club in March 1994. He carried out a plan to demolish the old terraces and develop a new stadium in a phased rebuild, which was completed in August 1998. The total cost of the new stadium was £40 million.

For the 1994–95 season Celtic played at the national stadium Hampden Park, this cost the club £500,000 in rent. Celtic Park has often been used as a venue for Scotland internationals and Cup Finals, particularly when Hampden Park has been unavailable. Before the First World War, Celtic Park hosted various other sporting events, including composite rules shinty-hurling, track and field and the 1897 Track Cycling World Championships. Open-air masses, and First World War recruitment drives have also been held there. Celtic Park has occasionally been used for concerts, including performances by The Who and U2.