About Celtic Park Celtic Park is the biggest football stadium in Scotland (Murrayfield is actually the biggest but it is officially a Rugby stadium), and the second biggest behind Old Trafford in terms of capacity in Great Britain. It is also one of the best examples of how a traditional stadium can be redeveloped into a truly magnificent arena.
The club have called this area home since 1892, some 4 years after they were formed. Noted architect Archibald Leitch helped design the main stand during the early part of the 20th century, although for decades after they moved here the stadium was no more than huge banks of earth on which terrace benches were put. These banks were made larger during the 1930’s, and it was towards the end of the decade that the record attendance of 92,000 was recorded against Rangers.
The major redevelopment work started in the club’s centenary season, 1988. At the time most of the stadium was uncovered, and behind the goals the stands curved away from the pitch. Work commenced on rebuilding all of the stands, apart from the main stand. The final parts of the ground were finished in 2000, making it an all seater stadium holding 60,000 people. The huge North Stand, previously known as the “jungle” holds almost half of the stadium’s capacity with seats for 27,000. The club are still working on becoming a UEFA 5 star venue, and there are plans being drawn up to demolish the main stand and complete the uniform two tier stadium which would have a capacity of around 70,000.
The stadium today is one of the most atmospheric in Europe when it is full, which is of course on most occasions that the team play here. The views from most parts of the stadium are excellent, although the walk up to the Upper tiers can be hard work.
The stadium is occasionally used for concerts, as well as hosting the national team on a number of occasions. Tours are available on a daily basis, but you do need to book in advance by calling +44 141 551 4308. Access to the museum and the tour costs £8.50.
Who plays there? Celtic FC - http://www.celticfc.net Parkhead, or Celtic Park as it is now more commonly known has been the home to Celtic for over a hundred years. Apart from Manchester United, Celtic are probably the most famous club in the world, in a similar way to Juventus are in Italy. The famous green and white hooped shirt is one of the most recognised around the world, and there will be few places where Celtic fans will not be welcome.
The club are also famous for their huge away travelling, which was most evident in the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville when an estimated 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to Spain to try and watch their team play Porto.
The club have always vied with Glasgow Rangers for the spot of most successful Scottish club. They have won the Scottish League title on 41 occasions, including five times in the last seven years. Added to this are 47 domestic cups and finally (and in the eyes of Celtic fans) a European Cup which they won in 1967. In the past decade they have probably just shaded the domestic battle in view of their Premier League success, although they have both won 14 domestic honours. In Europe the club have made strides in the Champions League, qualifying out of the group stages in the past few years.
The club were originally formed as a boys club – set up by Brother Walfrid who also was heavily involved in community work within the exiled Irish population in the east end of Glasgow. In May 1888 the club played its first match, unsurprisingly against Rangers. It took the club just four more years to win their first trophy, and went on to win seven more trophies before the end of the century.
In the early part of the 20th century under the stewardship of Willie Maley the club began to dominate Scottish football. Between 1904 and 1910 the club won six consecutive titles and went on to win 30 major trophies before the Second World War. Between 1945 and 1965 the club lost its way, conceding dominance to Rangers. However, in the summer of 1965 the club turned to ex-captain Jock Stein to bring the glory years back to Parkhead. Within ten years he had delivered another “nine in a row” of Championships, four domestic doubles and in 1967 they won five trophies including the European Cup Final versus Inter Milan in Lisbon. The team that won in Portugal became known as the Lisbon Lions as all of them were born within 30 miles of Parkhead. In 1970 they reached the final again, losing 2-1 to Feyenoord in Milan.
Over the next few seasons, managers came and went with regularity, unable to re-create the standards set by Stein. These included Billy McNeil (twice), David Hay, Liam Brady and Lou Macari. In 1994 the club were almost financially down and out and issued a cry for investment. In came Fergus McCann and his consortium and saved the club from financial ruin.
He immediately started on a redevelopment plan of the dilapidated stadium, as well as investing in the team. However, the managerial hot seat was still seen as a hot potato as Tommy Burns, Win Jansen and Dr Jozef Venglos could not meet the expectation of the board or the fans. This run of failure cumulated in the appointment of the so-called dream team of Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes in July 1999. Despite having such talent in the team as Paulo Di Canio, Jorge Cadete and Henrik Larsson, the team languished behind the likes of Hearts and Aberdeen going into a seemingly easy cup game versus Third Division Inverness Caledonian Thistle. In one of the greatest upsets in recent history, the team from the Highlands beat Celtic 3-1, prompting the famous headlines in the Sun of “Super Caly go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious.” Barnes was soon on his way, replaced by Martin O’Neill.
The Irish man wasted no time in stamping his authority on the team, and in his first season in charge the club won the domestic treble. The team also started a 2 season long unbeaten run at home, notching up 77 games without defeat. In the four seasons O’Neill was in charge, he delivered the championship three times as well as five domestic cups.
The 2003 UEFA Cup final was probably the pinnacle of O’Neill’s time at the club and it was with some surprise that he announced he was standing down for personal reasons at the end of the 2005 season. The club wasted little time in appointing Gordon Strachan to the post. However, his start was nothing short of a disaster. Paired against unknown Slovakian champions ArtMedia in the first round of the Champions League, the team lost 5-0 in Bratislava (they subsequently won the 2nd leg 4-0 to regain some pride), and a few weeks later lost 6-0 to Kilmarnock in the league. However, by the end of the season all was well as the club won the title.
In 2006/07 the team dominated the league from the word go, and bookmaker Paddy Power actually paid out bets on Celtic winning the league in November! The league was sewn up in April, and a domestic double secured when Jan Vennegor of Hesselink’s goal won the Scottish Cup Final.
How to get there Celtic Park is located around 3km to the east of the city centre in one of the regenerated areas of the city. The easiest way to reach the ground by public transport is to catch bus lines 61, 62 or 64 from Argyle Street in the city centre. The nearest train station is at Dalmarnock which is on the Motherwell line from Glasgow Central. The station is a 10 minute walk away down London Road.
Go to Footiemap.com for a more detailed map view of football in Glasgow.
Getting a ticket Celtic are as well supported today as they were thirty years ago, although the attendance at Celtic Park has been reduced dramatically. With a capacity of 60,000 at the moment, the club play their home matches in front of an average of 58,000. Games against Rangers are always sold out. For the rest you are strongly advised to arrange to purchase your tickets in advance.
Tickets can be purchased in advance from the box office on +44 141 551 8653. Some tickets are made available at http://celtic.ticketmaster.co.uk. Tickets range in price from £22 in the upper North, Jock Stein and Lisbon Lions stand. A place in the main stand starts from £25.
IBROX STADIUM - CAPACITY: 52,000 ALL SEATER
About Ibrox Stadium Ibrox is one of UEFA’s 5 Star stadiums, meaning it has the capacity and facilities to host major European Finals, although it is yet to have this privilege. However, unlike other 5 star stadiums such as the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the AOL Arena in Hamburg and the Stade de France in Paris, Ibrox still retains many of its original features, included the protected main stand façade.
The original stadium was opened in 1887 with a capacity of just 15,000 against the then English champions Preston North End. Less than twelve years later they moved up the road to a newly built stadium that today forms the current Ibrox. The stadium was mainly constructed of wooden stands, and it was here in 1902 that one of the terraces collapsed, killing 26 people.
After the war in 1919 the stadium was redeveloped under the supervision of Archibald Leitch who constructed a stadium which could accommodate close to 80,000 people. Twenty years later, over 118,000 attended the Old Firm game against Celtic – a record attendance in Britain for a league match.
In 1971 another disaster befell the stadium as a crush developed on a staircase in the game versus Celtic, killing 77 people. Over the next twenty years £50million was spent on turning the stadium into one of Britain’s finest arenas.
Today the stadium is fully enclosed, and is similar in feel to Anfield. The main stand is a three tier affair, capable of holding over 20,000. The view from all sections in the stadium is excellent, with no pillars restricting sight lines. The noise generated by the crowd is also one of the greatest features of the stadium. The stadium can also boast two huge TV screens which replay all the key moments during the game.
The stadium has a small museum which can be visited on a daily basis, and combined with a mini tour of the stadium for a good view of what makes Ibrox so special. Tickets cost £7 and can be booked on +44 870 600 1972.
Who plays there? Glasgow Rangers - http://www.rangers.co.uk Ibrox Stadium is the long term home of Glasgow Rangers, Scotland’s most successful club side. The team have won an amazing 51 Scottish League titles, almost 45% of the total championships played. Added to these League titles are a further 31 Scottish FA Cup titles and 24 Scottish League Cups making them the most successful club side in the world.
The club were formed in 1872 when a group of players used to meet for an informal match on Glasgow Green. The players soon formed a club and they played their first game against Callendar FC.
The club had to wait a further decade before they won their first trophy, although they did reach the Semi-Finals of the English FA Cup in 1887 when they lost to Aston Villa. The club won two further Scottish FA Cups in the 19th Century. In 1899 William Wilton became the club’s first manager, and he tasted success immediately as they club won their first seven Championship titles between 1900 and 1918. Wilton unfortunately died in 1920 having overseen a period of immense success. His right hand man was Bill Struth and he continued the glory years for the club with 18 Championships and 12 Cup victories in his 34 year reign. In 1949 the club won the domestic treble for the first time.
In 1954 Scot Symon was appointed as Glasgow Rangers third ever manager. His domestic success continued, but it was on the European front that the club sought to widen its horizons. In 1957 the club competed in the European Cup for the first time, eventually losing to Nice. Three years later the team managed to progress to the Semi-Finals, and with a place in the final at Hampden Park at stake, the team took on the unfancied Eintract Frankfurt. In a bizarre two-legged game the Germans ran out 12-4 winners, thus taking their place in the final in Glasgow against the legendary Real Madrid.
In 1961 Rangers reached the Cup Winner Cup Final, becoming the first English club to do so. In a two legged match against Fiorentina the Scots lost 4-1. In 1967 Rangers looked to emulate their close rivals Celtic, who had won the European Cup days before in the Cup Winners Cup final versus Bayern Munich. Unfortunately they lost again 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
In 1969 Willie Waddell was appointed manager and he oversaw the team’s one and only European Trophy with a 3-2 win over Dynamo Moscow in Barcelona. Unfortunately, due to crowd trouble, the club did not have the chance to defend their Cup Winners Cup trophy as UEFA banned them for a season. A few weeks after this triumph, Jock Wallace was appointed as Rangers 6th Manager, and led them into a new period of domestic dominance.
Wallace started by breaking Celtic’s 9 season dominance over the domestic league. He also led the club into the new Scottish Premier League, and immediately stamped the clubs authority on the new competitions by capturing the domestic treble in 1978. Just a week later Wallace resigned for “personal reasons” and was replaced by former captain John Greig. However, with cash in short supply, and competition now coming from Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen and the Sturrock-inspired Dundee United, Rangers dominance waned swiftly. The club reaction was a knee-jerk. They sacked Greig, and tried to lure Ferguson and Dundee United’s Jim McLean before turning again to Jock Wallace, then manager of Leicester City.
The old adage of “never go back” proved to be true in the case of Wallace as he struggled to make an impact in the league competition, and in 1986 he was sacked for the second time. The next phase in Rangers history can be said to have commenced in August 1986 when they appointed Graeme Souness as Player Manager. Despite a rocky start when Souness was sent off on his debut versus Hibernians, the club soon started recruiting wisely. As English clubs were banned from European Competition, Rangers, now funded by new Chairman David Murray, were able to attract top English players like Ray Wilkins, Terry Butcher and Chris Woods to form a team that was able to start the domination of Scottish football again.
The club matched Celtic’s achievements with its own 9 in a row between 1989 to 1997, only missing out on the title in 1998 by one win. Souness left the club in 1991 to take over at Liverpool, and was succeeded by Walter Smith who delivered a total of 12 trophies during another successful period which saw the club almost reach a Champions League final in 1993 despite remaining unbeaten during the competition and became the first British team to come so close to the final. They were also the first Scottish team to reach the competition.
In 1998 Dick Advocaat replaced Walter Smith, who had left to manage Everton. The Dutchman was not a favourite of the Ibrox crowd, due to the import of a number of journeymen foreign players such as Andrei Kanchelskis, Michael Mols and Tore Andre Flo. In his first season the team won the domestic treble, but soon they fell behind Celtic – returning from the 2001 season trophy-less. The Dutchman was replaced in December 2001 by Alex McLeish.
The continuation of expensive poor signings punctuated limited success that McLeish enjoyed. Names like Dragan Mladenovic, Thomas Buffel, Nacho Novo and Jean-Alain Boumsong were hardly the world class players that the board had promised. In 2005 the club won a remarkable league title, with Celtic blowing a 5 point lead with just 4 games to play.
Season 2005/06 proved to be the final one for McLeish. The league was lost by Easter to a rampant Celtic, and European football was soon over. Whilst it is often viewed as an unsuccessful period in the club’s history, McLeish actually won more trophies than his ival Martin O’Neill at Celtic during the same period.
The job of re-invigorating the club fell to Frenchman Paul Le Guen, who had revolutionised Olympique Lyonnais into a domestic powerhouse. Things did not go right from day one for the Frenchman, and after a huge public spat with captain Barry Ferguson, and the team trailing Celtic by 15 points, Le Guen was relieved of duties in January 2007. Again, the club went back to its successful past and re-appointed Walter Smith and Ally McCoist as the new management team. They viewed the remainder of the season as a planning measure for 2007/08, running Celtic close but not close enough for the Domestic double.
Last season they were on course for an unprecedented quadruple. With fixtures piling up at the end of the season, their reasonable requests to the SPL to extend the season to allow them the best chance of European success when they reached the UEFA Cup final were denied. They narrowly lost the final against Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester in front of a huge following, and a few days later their league dream was ended to - more through fatigue of the campaign than anything else. They did win both domestic cups to at least have some reward for a fine season.
2008/09 has not started too well as they were eliminated from the Champions League in the qualifying stages by FK Kaunas of Lithuania.
How to get there Ibrox stadium is located in the south west corner of the city, very close to the old shipyards of Govan. The easiest way to reach the stadium is by underground on the “Clockwork Orange”, as the station of the same name is a mere 3 minute walk from the ground. The stadium is adjacent to the M8 which runs from the city centre to the airport. A return ticket from anywhere in the city costs £2.
Go to Footiemap.com for a more detailed map view of football in Glasgow.
Getting a ticket Behind city rivals Celtic, Rangers are the best supported team by quite a long way. On average they get 49,950 for home games – meaning that tickets for most games are scarce come match day. However, for most games (excluding the Old Firm matches) you can pre-book tickets, and pick them up on the day of the game. The official website contains all the details of when you can book, and the relevant pricing. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 0871 702 1972.
Tickets are normally available in the Broomloan or Copland rear stands, which are the cheapest in the stadium and start from £20. Tickets in the main stand upper tier cost from £34.
HAMPDEN PARK - CAPACITY: 52,050 ALL SEATER
About Hampden Park Scotland’s national stadium is one of the oldest national stadiums still being used today, having originally opened on the 31st October 1903. Up until the opening of the Maracana Stadium in Rio in 1950, the stadium was the largest in the world, with a capacity of over 150,000. The record attendance at the stadium during the golden period of 149,415 for a game between Scotland and England in 1937.
The stadium has set more records in footballing history than any other. It was the first ground to introduce turnstiles in the late 19th century, the first stadium to have an all-ticket match (in 1884), the first stadium to install a public address system and the first to install a press box in 1906. The stadium also holds a number of attendance records apart from the game in 1937. In 1970 over 136,500 attended a European Cup match between Celtic and Leeds United, which is the biggest attendance at a UEFA game.
The stadium today holds just over 50,000 but it is clear that significant amounts of money have been spent on it to convert it from the crumbling terraces that made up the ground in the 1970’s and 1980’s. The installation of the roof in 1999 was the final step in the redevelopment of the stadium that saw all four stands demolished and rebuilt. One bad point is the inclusion of an athletics track that does put significant distance between the fans behind the goal and the pitch.
The stadium’s seats are coloured to depict the St Andrews Flag at either end of the stadium which is an unusual touch. The final confirmation of the stadium’s return to former glories was in 2003 when the venue was chosen to hold the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
Who plays there? Despite having two other stadiums in the city that hold over 50,000, Hampden Park is firmly the spiritual home of the National team. However, very few people from outside Scotland can believe that it is also the home to Queens Park FC – one of Scotland’s oldest and certainly most traditional clubs. The club were also responsible for arranging the first ever match between an English team and a Scottish team on the 20th November 1872. In the same season the cup also took part in the first ever English FA Cup, and in fact actually exited the competition without losing as they couldn’t fulfil their commitment to play the replay against Wanderers due to the cost of travelling back down to London. They did make it to the final in 1884 and 1885, finishing runners up on both occasions.
The club went on to dominate the cup competition north of the border, winning the trophy for three consecutive seasons in 1874 to 1876. The following decade saw them crowned as Scotland’ most famous club as they took the cup on a further seven occasions.
However, since then they have had little success, as professionalism has taken over the game and consigned the club to the lower reaches of Scottish football. They did reach the Scottish First Division in 1981, winning the Second Division title the previous season, although they soon returned to the bottom level. In 2000 they won the Third Division title although again they were relegated a few seasons later.
The stadium has been a firm favourite of UEFA’s in the past, hosting a number of major finals. It is probably best known for the 1960 European Cup final when a Di Stefano and Puskas inspired Real Madrid demolished Eintract Frankfurt 7-3 in front of an estimated 130,000 spectators. In 1976 it hosted the final again as Bayern Munich beat Saint Etienne, and of course in May 2007 it hosted the UEFA Cup Final between Sevilla and Espaynol.
The stadium is also used for concerts, having played host to the likes of Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart and Oasis, as well as hosting a number of other sports including World Championship Boxing (Mike Tyson fought his last fight here on British soli), Rugby Union in the 1999 World Cup Finals and American Football, with the stadium being the home venue to the now defunct Scottish Claymores.
How to get there Hampden Park is located in the south of the city, close enough to be classed as central. It is well served by local transport although on a nice sunny day you could quite easily walk there from the city centre. The nearest station to the stadium is Mount Florida, which is four stops from Central Station. Also close by are King’s Park and Crosshill stations.
From Central Station, exit the station and walk down the Bolton Drive which is straight in front of you. Cross two roads and then follow the road as it becomes Somerville Drive. The stadium is on your right hand side.
If you want to arrive by bus then Line 31 runs from St Enoch Centre, Line 37 from Glasgow Cross and Line 75 from Argyle Street. A day pass for unlimited travel in the city costs £4.50.
Go to Footiemap.com for a more detailed map view of football in Glasgow.
Getting a ticket Ticket availability will vary depending the category of game you are planning on seeing at Hampden Park. For matches involving the Scottish National team, the quality of the opponent will certainly have a bearing on price and availability of tickets. The recent qualifying game versus France was sold out in hours, whilst tickets for the game versus Georgia were available up until kick off.
In normal circumstances tickets can be purchased in advance from the stadium ticket office on 0141 620 4000. Tickets are also sold via http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk. Prices vary from game to game, although expect to pay around £30 minimum for a decent seat.
The stadium is still the home of Queens Park FC, the only amateur club playing in the top level of British football. They regularly play in front of crowds of less than 1,000 in the huge stadium. A £9 ticket sold on the door will get you a seat (or 20!) to watch them. For cup games, tickets are sold by the respective clubs. If the match features at least one of the old firm then expect availability to be low. For games featuring any other clubs you should have no problem picking up a ticket. The stadium also runs hourly tours of the museum and the ground. These can be booked by emailing them on info@scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk. Admission is £8.50 for Adults and £4.50 for Children.
Getting around The Glasgow transport system is quite comprehensive, and through its network of local trains, metro (known locally as the Clockwork Orange as it runs as a circular line around the city) and buses connecting most points of the city. Most of the main attractions, including the three stadiums are all located close to the centre as not to worry too much about complex arrangements. A day travel ticket covering all travel is £4.50.
Glasgow International is slowly becoming one of the busiest airports in the UK, now handling over 9 million passengers a year. It is located around 8 miles west of the city centre. A regular Scottish Citylink bus runs every 10 minutes from outside Arrivals to Buchanan Street. Tickets cost £4.30 single. Alternatively, catch a local bus from bus top 1 to Paisley Gilmour Street, and then you catch a train into Central Station. There are up to eight trains an hour on this route.
Easyjet fly herefrom Bristol, London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. Air Berlin also fly here daily from London Stansted. Other regional operators include Flybe from Belfast, Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich and Southampton, whilst BMI fly here from Leeds Bradford, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and London Heathrow. BA covers the routes from London Gatwick and Heathrow, thus making Glasgow one of the most popular airports for the low-cost carriers in Europe.
Ryanair’s version of Glasgow Airport is located close to the Irish Sea in Prestwick. They fly there from Bournemouth and London Stansted on a daily basis. The airport is around 30 miles south east of Glasgow, and handles around 2.3million passengers a year, the vast majority being Ryanair customers. The airport originally grew up, similar to Shannon airport as a refuelling stop on transatlantic flights.
To reach the city centre, catch one of the regular trains from Prestwick station to Glasgow Central – journey time is 44 minutes. The airport is of course famous for being the only place on British soil that Elvis Presley set foot on – on a refuelling stop in 1960.
About Celtic Park
Who plays there? Celtic FC - 
About Ibrox Stadium
Who plays there? Glasgow Rangers - 
About Hampden Park