Celtic CEO Michael Nicholson told shareholders at the Celtic PLC AGM at Celtic Park this afternoon that the club has no imminent plans to re-develop the South Stand to increase the stadium’s capacity.
In the Q&A session at the end of the usual AGM formalities, which this year progressed without the turmoil witnessed at previous AGMs, a Celtic shareholder asked if the Board were looking at a redevelopment of the Main stand to increase the capacity at Celtic Park beyond the current level of 60,000.
The North Stand’s capacity is around 20,000 higher that the older South Stand at Celtic Park.
In the short to medium term the answer, sadly, is no but in the longer term the Celtic CEO confirmed that the Board are looking at this for the longer term. “The South Stand is a historic asset and previous feasibility studies suggest more than £100m to expand it – there is limited capital to invest and we need to invest on the pitch. Long term we’d like to look at it but not at moment.”
Fergus McCann had the vision and the balls to see it through.
There is no doubt that since Fergus McCann had the vision to build the current Celtic Park with the three new stands sitting alongside the South Stand, the only one to remain in situ after the redevelopment on the mid 1990s, Celtic have gone on to dominate the Scottish game. Increasing the capacity at Celtic Park to 80,000 would certainly take Paradise to another level.
Can you imagine a Champions League night with an extra 20,000 Celtic fans inside the stadium? And remember the strategic advantage across those across the city would increase substantially and they aren’t in a position to increase their own capacity at Ibrox.
Here are the videos that Celtic released ahead of the AGM…
OUT NOW!
