Report reveals price tag for rebuilding Celtic’s South Stand

The Daily Mail has put a price tag of £80m on Celtic building a new South Stand.

Three sides of Celtic Park was rebuilt in the final years of the last century but the South Stand was left out of that redevelopment, while Celtic played a season at Hampden that area of the stadium remained untouched while the rest of the area was flattened.

Now approaching its 100th year, the oldest part of the stadium is very much lost in time with a lack of basic facilities never mind meeting the expectations of the modern supporter.Bringing the South Stand in line with the rest of the stadium would be a major task for the club to undertake, while it is a recurring topic among supporters barely anything is heard from inside the club.

Taking on the issue the Daily Mail reports:

Celtic have yet to decide what to do about the growing need to deal with their South Stand issue.

The main stand is now the oldest part of the stadium, built in its original form in 1929. The club used the money banked by the Lisbon Lions to overhaul the structure in 1971. They also constructed a new facade in 1988.

With restricted and outdated corporate, female toilet, reception and press facilities, however, the stand is the first thing opponents see when they pitch up on European nights. And the board are aware of the need to deal with the issue at some point.

Despite all that cash in the bank, the main issue never changes. Cost.

Estimates for a new stand are in the region of £80m. Where to seat just under 8,000 season ticket holders while the work is carried out is another significant consideration.

If or when the work ever goes ahead, the steel seems unlikely to come from China.

Dealing with the current Season Ticket holders, many of whom go back generations would be a major issue but those supporters deserve better than they are getting away from their seats.

‘Completing the stadium’ to tie in with the other three sides is the obvious solution but also the most expensive.

A purpose built new structure, larger than the current South Stand but not fully aligned with the rest of the stadium could incorporate a museum, Ticket Office and Superstore as well as new facilities such as catering, with expanded hospitality on offer the start up costs could be met within a five or 10 year span while the club is sitting on its highest ever bank balance.