top of page
Celtic Park
(Celtic)
Address: The Celtic Way,
Parkhead,
Glasgow,
Scotland,
G40 3RE
Capacity: 60,411 (All-Seater)
There’s a reason they call this place Paradise.
Otherwise known as Parkhead after the area it is located in, Celtic Park has been home to Celtic Football Club ever since opening.
Celtic were formed in November 1887, and within six months were based at the original Celtic Park that had been built by a volunteer workforce. The Bhoys would be forced to leave the site in 1892 however when the landlord increased the annual rent by nine times its initial amount.
The modern day Celtic Park was built on a disused brickwork some 200 yards from where the original Celtic Park had been based. It was opened on 20th August 1892, with a journalist describing the move as like ‘leaving the graveyard to enter paradise.’ The paradise nickname is believed to originate from this.
Initially an elongated oval stadium that could hold around 40,000 people, multiple redevelopments in the following decades affected the size and shape of Celtic Park.
To comply with the Taylor Report in the 1990s, Celtic were required to convert the stadium to an all-seater venue. Doing so at the time though would reduce the capacity to around 34,000, which Fergus McCann did not deem big enough. He instead decided to effectively build a new stadium. Only the Main Stand was left intact as the other three sides of Celtic Park were demolished and rebuilt.
Renovations took place between 1994 and 1998, forming the Parkhead that is in place today. Costing £40 million, it made Celtic Park the biggest club stadium in the United Kingdom at the time.
Location and Getting There
Celtic Park is located in the Parkhead area, roughly two miles east of Glasgow City Centre. The Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome is directly to the south of the stadium, the River Clyde runs by a short distance from there, and the People’s Palace is roughly 1.2 miles away to the west.
Coming to Celtic Park by car is certainly possible.
The stadium has a number of car parks around its eastern, southern and western sides, but spaces are of course limited in number.
It is possible to find free street parking within a decent distance of the ground, though be careful that you do not block the drives of any residents nearby.
The majority coming by train will arrive in Glasgow via Glasgow Central, which is served by ScotRail, Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper, CrossCountry, LNER and Transpennine Express.
The recommendation from here is to take the ScotRail service between Patrick and Newtown which stops at Dalmarnock, a station that is roughly 15 minutes southwest of Celtic Park.
You can alternatively walk from Glasgow Central to the stadium, which takes around 45-50 minutes.
Taxis are also available.
Outside the Stadium
Coming from Dalmarnock Station and walking along Clyde Gateway (A728) will first bring you to Celtic Park’s South Stand. This is the Main Stand at the stadium and its oldest side, dating back to 1929.
The exterior here is dominated by brickwork and glass windows in the centre, holding entrances to the Main Reception, Press, Jock Stein Lounge and other Club Offices.
Turnstiles for the Main Stand are based towards either end of the brickwork exterior.
Immediately outside of the Main Stand’s exterior are three statues. Jock Stein is depicted in the centre, with Brother Walfrid to the left and Jimmy Johnstone to the right.
John “Jock” Stein was born in Burbank on 5th October 1922.
His playing career included time with Celtic between 1951 and 1957, where he won a league and cup double with the club in 1954. After retiring in early 1957. Stein took over the role of coaching the Celtic Reserve Team, going to take managerial roles at Dunfermline Athletic and Hibernian. He was appointed Celtic manager in March 1965, and remained at the Bhoys for over 13 years. That period of immense success saw Stein and Celtic win 10 League Titles, eight Scottish Cups, six Scottish League Cups, and perhaps most notably the European Cup in 1967, making Celtic the first British side to win the competition.
In charge for over 700 games, and also having spells with the Scotland National Team, Jock Stein is regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time. He passed away on 10th September 1985, on the same day he had overseen a 1-1 draw between Scotland and Wales and Ninian Park in Cardiff. He was 62 years old at the time of his passing.
The statue of Jock Stein has been in place outside Celtic Park’s Main Stand since March 2011, and depicts him holding the European Cup that he won in 1967.
Brother Walfrid (real name Andrew Kerins) was an Irish Marist Brother who was born in County Sligo, Ireland on 18th May 1840.
Having moved to Scotland in the 1870s to teach, he founded Celtic Football Club in 1888 as a way of raising funds for the Catholic poor and deprived in East Glasgow.
Brother Walfrid passed away on 17th April 1915 at the age of 74 in Dumfries. The commemorative statue of him has been in place outside Celtic Park since November 2005.
Jimmy Johnstone was born in Viewpark on 30th September 1944.
An outside right (modern-day equivalent of a right-winger) he began his career at Celtic, going on to play over 500 times and score over 120 goals for the club between 1962 and 1975. A key part of the Celtic team that was so successful under Jock Stein, Johnstone won nine League Titles, four Scottish Cups, five Scottish League Cups, and the historic European Cup in 1967. That same year, he was voted third in the Ballon d’Or list for the world’s best footballer.
Capped 23 times by Scotland, Johnstone passed away on 13th March 2006 at the age of 61, having been diagnosed with motor neuron disease five years earlier. The statue of Jimmy Johnstone has been in place outside Celtic Park since 2008.
A bright-coloured path, known as The Celtic Way, leads up to the Main Stand from off London Road (A74). Players travel up this on their coaches ahead of entering the stadium through the Main Stand.
The Celtic Superstore and Celtic Football Club Ticket Office are in two separate buildings to the left of The Celtic Way, and several car parks are in place out beyond the exterior of the Main Stand.
Right next to the start of The Celtic Way is a statue of Billy McNeill.
Born in Mossend on 2nd March 1940, McNeill was a defender who played for Celtic throughout his entire senior career, making a total of 822 appearances over 18 years which remains a club record. He won nine League Titles, seven Scottish Cups and six Scottish League Cups as a player, also being part of the team which won the European Cup in 1967. After retiring as a player, McNeill would step into management and eventually took the Celtic job across two spells between 1978 and 1991, winning a further four League Titles, three Scottish Cups and a Scottish League Cup with the Bhoys.
Capped 29 times by Scotland, McNeill passed away on 22nd April 2019 at the age of 75. The statue of Billy McNeill depicts him holding aloft the European Cup and has been in place at Celtic Park since December 2015.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction from the Main Stand brings you to the stadium’s southwest corner.
It is of a similar height to the Main Stand but more similar in design to the adjacent western side of Celtic Park. The exterior consists of a brown brickwork base with large grey panels higher up and grey cantilever coming down from the roof. These large grey panels are decorated with giant banners of significant moments and figures in Celtic’s history.
There are turnstiles and exit gates in place along the brickwork base, with a couple of car parks directly outside of the southwest corner.
The West Stand at Celtic Park is named after Jock Stein and includes the stadium’s northwest corner.
Much larger than the adjacent Main Stand and southwest corner, its exterior is brickwork at the base with large grey panels higher up and grey cantilever coming down from the roof. A giant green mural, displaying the word PARADISE and featuring a long line of iconic Celtic players from over the years, is in place on these grey panels.
A small building next to the southwest corner holds the Jock Stein Executive Entrance which leads to the 67 Club and Kerrydale Suite. The entrance for the West Executive Lounge and North Executive Boxes 1-9 meanwhile is based in the northwest corner.
Turnstiles for the Jock Stein Stand itself are spread along the brickwork base.
Out beyond the Jock Stein Stand is one of the stadium’s car parks, and the road leading up to here, known as Janefield Street, is often filled with many Celtic merchandise hubs on a matchday.
The North Stand at Celtic Park is right up next to the Eastern Necropolis Cemetery, and Janefield Street passes underneath it as a result.
The exterior of the North Stand follows a very similar design to the adjacent Jock Stein Stand, using a brickwork base, large grey panels and green windows higher up, with grey cantilever coming down from the top. The very top part of the North Stand also hangs partly over the cemetery.
Fans can walk the whole way along Janefield Street to get from Celtic Park’s western side to its eastern side and vice versa.
Turnstiles for the North Stand itself can be found on Janefield Street, along the stand’s brickwork base.
The East Stand at Celtic Park includes the stadium’s northeast corner.
It is known as the Lisbon Lions Stand in reference to the Celtic team that won the European Cup under Jock Stein in 1967. The name came about as all but two of the 15-man squad were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park. The other two were born within 30 miles of the stadium. The Lisbon part of the name references the location of the European Cup Final that year, having been played at the Estádio Nacional near Portugal’s Capital.
The exterior of the Lisbon Lions Stand is very similar to the Jock Stein Stand opposite, using a brickwork base with large grey panels higher up and grey cantilever coming down from the roof. A giant green mural, displaying the word PARADISE and featuring a long line of iconic Celtic players from over the years, is in place on these grey panels. It is a different group of players to the one present on the Jock Stein Stand opposite.
The space immediately outside most of the Lisbon Lions Stand is fenced off into sections. One of these holds the turnstiles for the Celtic Family Stand, and the smaller fenced off section next to here leads to the Away Turnstiles. The green fences are in place to help with segregation of home and away supporters.
Further turnstiles can be found all the way along the brickwork base, with the entrance for the East Executive Lounge, Captains Table Restaurant and North Executive Boxes 12-18 based in the northeast corner.
Another of the stadium’s car parks is out beyond the exterior of the Lisbon Lions Stand.
The southeast corner of Celtic Park is the same height and very similar in design to the stadium’s southwest corner.
It consists of a brown brickwork base with large grey panels higher up and grey cantilever coming down from the roof. These large grey panels are decorated with giant banners of significant moments and figures in Celtic’s history.
This part of the stadium houses the Away Turnstiles, which are located along the brickwork base and visiting supporters usually access them by heading up Kinloch Street from off London Road (A74). A large green fence sections off these Away Turnstiles from the Family Stand Turnstiles based nearby, and helps with the segregation of home and away supporters before they enter the stadium.
Out beyond the southeast corner is another of Celtic Park’s car parks.
Inside the Stadium
The Main Stand is split into two tiers, with the upper tier larger than the one below.
The vast majority of seats in this stand are coloured green, though the two central blocks in the upper tier are much, much darker in colour and are for Executive Club use. Three small blocks of seating in front of those are also dark in colour and are also for executive use. There is a row of executive boxes in place right at the very back of the Main Stand, whilst you can also find a glass-fronted box suspended from the stand’s roof. This was originally used to house the Press Box, but was converted into a further pair of executive boxes in 1988. The gantry holding the matchday camera is in place above this glass-fronted box.
Celtic’s tunnel and dugouts are based down at the front of the Main Stand, with the stadium’s changing rooms located inside.
The roof of the Main Stand is held in place by two large green pillars that are situated at either end. They should not get in your way at all if you are sat in either the upper tier or lower tier. What the Main Stand additionally has however are two retractable columns that can swing down to provide additional stability in case of adverse weather. These columns when in use come down into the space between the lower and upper tiers, and your view can be restricted from seats in the upper tier as a result. They will not get in your way at all though if you are sat in any of the lower tier blocks.
The stadium’s enclosed design allows every row in the Main Stand to be well-protected from the sides and from behind, whilst translucent panels at the front of the roof aid with light accessing the pitch below.
The southwest corner of Celtic Park is single tiered and very similar in height to the adjacent Main Stand.
The vast majority of seats in here are coloured green, though two horizontal lines of white seating are made out across the blocks.
Your view from most of the southwest corner is perfectly clear, though a pillar at the end of the adjacent Main Stand may restrict the view for some seats located towards the back.
The stadium’s enclosed design leaves every row well protected from the elements.
The Jock Stein Stand includes the stadium’s northwest corner and is split into two tiers.
The lower tier is larger and the exact same height as the adjacent southwest corner. The very front of the upper tier hangs slightly over the back rows of the lower tier. The vast majority of seats in the lower tier are coloured green, though the two horizontal lines of white seating continue along the blocks. Additionally, seats up at the very back of the lower tier are much darker in colour, and are dedicated for executive use.
The whole of the upper tier meanwhile consists entirely of green seating, and there is a large electronic screen hanging from the roof which can best be seen by those at the opposite end of the stadium.
Your view from most of the Jock Stein Stand is perfectly clear. The only exception comes in the upper tier of the northwest corner where green pillars come down from the roof and will restrict your view slightly if you are sat in the back rows. Celtic often offer reduced-price tickets here as a result though. There are small green pillars that hold the front of the upper tier above the lower tier, but these are placed right at the back so that they do not get in the way.
The whole lower tier is protected by the stadium’s enclosed design, and a giant windshield provides full protection to every row in the upper tier.
The North Stand is divided into two tiers that are separated by a row of executive boxes and the Captains Table Restaurant.
The lower tier is directly connected to the lower tier of the Jock Stein Stand, made up mostly of green seating. The two horizontal lines of white seating that swung around the western side of the stadium end at the North Stand, with the letters CELTIC spelt out in white across the central blocks in the lower tier. Two more horizontal lines of white seating are then formed as you head over towards the stadium’s northeast corner. Up at the back of the lower tier are around 1,600 darker colour seats that are for executive use. These seats are special in that they are each able to be heated up via a foot switch.
The upper tier of the North Stand is not quite as tall as the upper tiers of the northwest and northeast corners, being separated from each of them by a white wall. A company logo, typically the one that makes Celtic’s kit, is made out of white seating in this upper tier, with every other seat inside here coloured green.
Your view from anywhere inside the lower tier of the North Stand is perfectly clear, but supporting pillars come down on a regular basis in the upper tier. These will likely cause some form of restriction to your view if you are sat up towards the back of this tier, but will not get in your way at all if you are sat down towards the front of it. Celtic often offer reduced-price tickets here as a result though.
With the North Stand enclosed on both sides by the northwest and northeast corners, every row inside is well protected from the elements.
The Lisbon Lions Stand includes the stadium’s northeast corner and is split into two tiers.
It is very similar in design to the Jock Stein Stand opposite, with the lower tier almost exclusively green but for two horizontal lines of white seating, and the upper tier consisting entirely of green seating. The front of the upper tier hangs slightly over the lower tier underneath, and a few blocks in the lower tier that are next to the stadium’s southeast corner make up the Celtic Family Stand. A large electronic screen also hangs down from the stand’s roof, which can best be seen by those at the opposite end of the stadium.
The big difference between the Lisbon Lions Stand and the Jock Stein Stand however comes in the lower tier of the stadium’s northeast corner. Since the summer of 2016, Celtic have had 2,975 rail seats installed in this part of the stadium. Rail seating is a style of seating common in Mainland Europe that allows fans to either sit or stand safely during matches. Celtic became the first major club in Scotland to install rail seating at their stadium, with many others expected to follow suit in the future. This section has proved to be incredibly popular, with many of Celtic’s most vocal and passionate supporters choosing to be based here during games.
Your view from most of the Lisbon Lions Stand is perfectly clear. The only exception comes in the upper tier of the northeast corner where green pillars come down from the roof and will restrict your view slightly if you are sat in the back rows. Celtic often offer reduced-price tickets here as a result though. There are small green pillars that hold the front of the upper tier above the lower tier, but these are placed right at the back so that they do not get in the way.
The whole lower tier is protected by the stadium’s enclosed design, and a giant windshield provides full protection to every row in the upper tier.
The southeast corner follows the exact same design as the southwest corner.
It is single tiered and very similar in height to the adjacent Main Stand. The vast majority of seats in here are coloured green, though two horizontal lines of white seating are made out across the blocks.
Your view from most of the southeast corner is perfectly clear, though a pillar at the end of the adjacent Main Stand may restrict the view for some seats located towards the back.
The stadium’s enclosed design leaves every row well protected from the elements.
Away Fans
Away fans are housed in the southeast corner. This is a single tier of seating between the Main Stand and Lisbon Lions Stand, with rows of steward and large sheets often used to segregate this away section from any home supporters located nearby.
Your view from most of this away section is clear, but the presence of a supporting pillar in the adjacent Main Stand can restrict the view of some seats that are located up towards the back. Celtic have been known to offer these at a reduced price as a result.
The Away Turnstiles outside of the stadium are typically fenced off on a matchday to help with the segregation of home and away supporters before they enter Celtic Park itself. The recommendation is to head up to them via Kinloch Street from off London Road (A74).
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include*:
-The Ark Glasgow (North Frederick Street, G1 2BS) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near to Glasgow Queen Street Station)
-The Beer House (69 Gordon Street, G1 3SL) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located very close to Glasgow Central Station)
-The Black Bull (111 High Street, G1 1PH) (Typically Home Supporters Only) (Located near to High Street Station)
-The Counting House (2 St Vincent Place, G1 2DH) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near Glasgow Queen Street Station)
-The Edward G. Wylie (107-109 Bothwell Street, G2 6TS) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near Glasgow Central Station)
-The Fiveways Inn (1411 Gallowgate, G31 4EU) (Typically Home Supporters Only) (Located northeast of Celtic Park itself)
-The Pot Still (154 Hope Street, G2 2TH) (Typically Home and Away Supporters) (Located near Glasgow Central Station and Buchanan Street Underground Station)
-The Real McCoy (1281 London Road, G40 3HW) (Typically Home Supporters Only) (Located near to Celtic Park itself)
-The Turnstiles Bar (London Road, G40 3HW) (Home Supporters Only) (Located very close to Celtic Park itself)
*Pubs within close range of Celtic Park are typically for home supporters only and the recommendation is to find a drink in Glasgow City Centre before heading to the stadium. Being discreet with club colours is also advisable.
Overview
Scotland’s largest football stadium truly is a venue to behold.
Its exterior has a rather simple design to it, but it works really well and offers great accessibility all the way around for fans either heading to their specific turnstile or simply wanting to take a look at the stadium as a whole.
When inside, its western, northern and eastern sides seem to tower over the Main Stand to the south, and it can be quite a sight to see the ground full to the brim with over 60,000 Celtic fans on a matchday.
The popular Rail Seating section produces an excellent atmosphere, which is further boosted by the ever-passionate crowd around them.
The bigger the occasion here, the better you will find your experience of Celtic Park to be.
European nights in Paradise can be magic.
bottom of page