If you are 30-years-old or above, chances are you have been going to Celtic Park since a time when the stadium itself and the area around Parkhead was derelict and economically challenged. The Parkhead Forge and Barr’s factories, large local employers in their day, were long gone.
In the early 1970s, the government attempted to regenerate inner-city areas across the country, with the Glasgow Eastern Area Renewal (GEAR) project first to launch, followed by Docklands projects in London and Liverpool. GEAR ran for almost 20 years, but when it shuttered in 1987, the east if the city was still hopelessly impoverished. That’s not to say it would not have been worse still, were it not for the limited impact of GEAR.
What the area lacked was an anchor project but one arrived seven years after GEAR when the foundations were laid for the new Celtic Park.
The regeneration of Celtic brought improved management to all aspects of the club and associated business, while visitor numbers increased. A seven-day-per-week retail operation was the first step in bringing people to the area out with match days, as Celtic continued to acquire adjacent land and make improvements to the stadium environment.
This anchor sporting facility soon drew the Commonwealth Arena and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, build directly opposite Celtic Park. Glasgow had a sporting quarter, drawing athletes and well as spectators from across the globe.
Progress has not stopped. Celtic have outline permission for a hotel to be built onsite, with a museum to follow and continually petition for a fan zone, where the tens of thousands who arrive on match day will be able to buy refreshments and access toilet facilities.
Strathclyde University’s Fraser of Allander Institute’s report on the economic impact of Celtic, published yesterday, outlines the enormous importance of the club to the economic success of the city and beyond:
Equivalent of 2820 full time jobs created.
£165m contribution to Scottish GDP.
A net inflow to Glasgow of over 1 million people in one season.
Celtic are a successful Scottish exporter, 47% of revenues come from outside Scotland.
What is happening through Celtic in the east of the city is not the only story in Glasgow. The SEC Centre, with the Exhibition Centre, Clyde Auditorium and SSE Hydro has turned the Finnieston area into a world-leading venue for conferences, exhibitions and concerts. Glasgow is now a destination city.
Much of this happened organically. The success of the SECC encouraged more development in the area, while Celtic have had several iterations of insightful planning since the mid-90s. In different parts of the world, cities compete to bring economic icons like Celtic to their patch. In Glasgow, the Council heard objections to the Celtic Superstore plans as it may compete with the local Tesco. Public transportation infrastructure caters only for local resident volumes, with no plans to move into the 21st century, while Glasgow City Council are planning to drive visitors away by insisting the nearest they can park will be 1 mile from the stadium – displacing the parking problem and increasing the time cars will be left in the area as spectators walk to and from the stadium.
The report was issued ahead of Celtic’s AGM, which is currently underway. It is an explainer for those in positions of power who carry an economic responsibility, but seem to have little grasp of how to Let Glasgow Flourish. The subtext to why the club asked the Fraser of Allander Institute to undertake the report is one of frustration. Things are going well for Celtic, for Parkhead and for Glasgow, but so much more could be done if others worked with the club.
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Surely not
Twenty years since Lubo 5-1 game
Twelve years since the Nakamura free kick v Man Utd. What a night!
An Tearmann,
You have summed it up well.
Thanks, I am as well as a doddery oul’ septuagenarian can reasonably expect.
I survived a five hour session with Tully57 and two of his mates in Edinburgh recently, so I can’t complain.
Much of today’s talk has been about TV coverage of the game.
I watched the Scotland game last night on Virgin Media Sport in Ireland and watched a good good game, enhanced by quality commentary.
Great praise was given to the home team’s performance unequivocally, without the need to qualify their comment, due the sensitivities of some of their audience.
If there is a better analyst and summeriser than former Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, I have yet to hear of him or her.
Both he and Des Curran, the commentator, were astonished at the list of “unavailable players.
They reckoned that the cohesion between the Celtic boys came from the Scotland training sessions, but I forgive them for that.
It took Kevin Kilbane in the studio to point out the Celtic influence in the goals.
Whoever takes over will have a tough job, as, at the moment, Ireland don’t even have the sow’s ear!
FRIESDORFER on21ST NOVEMBER 2018 12:38 PM
Rod Stewart should contribute £20m towards the hotel as his legacy
No mention of res12
Res 12:
Still WI TH SFA Compliance Officer.
Auldheid giving it to the Board.
Wait a minute
Resolution 12 coming up at AGM now.
Board whitewash, as per.
Bah. Posted at the end of the last thread.
SUPERSUTTON on 21ST NOVEMBER 2018 12:47 PM
Sky or BT?
BT at least tries to talk up the game in Scotland and has some unbiased members of their panel.
Regardless, it would be good if we could have a commentator or co-commentator who was able to offer some insight on the game rather quoting irrelevant “factoids” and stating the bleeding obvious. Davie Provan was a prime example last night with Scotland down 1-0 he offered the blindly incisive comment that “Scotland need to score two goals”.
Phrases such as
– “he just about kept that in” (No, he DID keep it in which is why the game is still going on).
– “he was just about onside” (No, he was either onside or offside)
I long for the old days when commentators just told us the name of the players and stop the waffling and inane chat. Let the viewers enjoy the atmosphere.
Can anyone remember the last time a commentator or summariser provided a snippet of information about what was going on in the game that made you think “wow, that’s a good point. I hadn’t realised that”?
Chairman talking rubbish. Says club is in the hands of SFA. No mention of club going direct to UEFA, as they (UEFA) have suggested.
“Let Glasgow Celtic Flourish”
Is Leigh Griffiths fit, after his withdrawal from Scotland squad? Brendan Rodgers says he is working hard and will contrbute to heavy schedule in Dec.
Janefield St crush: independent review to ensure does not happen again.
Ibrox game Dec: plan to bus support direct from and to CP.
Friesdorfer
So Res12 has now been dealt with in terms of the AGM?
HH jg
Comperr: BR takes responsibility.
Jamesgang
Yup. Not happy , nor is Auldheid I would venture to suggest.
HH
P1sh
Summer Transfer Window: PL says complicated to bring players in. McGinn chose to go to Villa, his choice. BR: disappointing window yes, but great support from the Board. Look to improve in January, ambition is to be the best we can.
New Sky deal: can we get rid of plastic pitches with this money?
Paul67
Good article Paul67 ( things you’ll never read in SMSM )
AGM latest……. Rainjurz still deed
Business opportunities and development:
Avoid complacency
Invest in R&D – players, development
Betting sponsorship
What happened to the Kenny Dalglish money?
SFA is corrupt.
BR is a class act.
Blessed be the Bunnet…!
Thank you Lord for making Celtic supporters the best in the world
I Blame Billy Connelly!!!!!!
How far into the long grass can they keep kicking res12
At least since res12 was first tabled my solar panels have generated 23 megawatts whilst appearing to do nothing whereas the board have attempted to appear active while generating nowt
The Rangers FC will shortly release their analysis, from the William of Orange Institue, declairing that they are annualy worth £16.90 to the Glasgow economy every year.
Paul67 et al
If true it looks like the Board is gonna bus Celtic supporters to Ayebrokes.
Question is, are we only gonna be allowed to sit in the back?
Benkovic: Leicester’s player, but , but…
Boyata: has developed dramatically. Next contract his most important…
Well, that’s that. Mission accomplished by the Board. Res 12 kicked into the long grass, again. Scunnered. HH
BSR
CONNOLLY or did you mean someone else
i blame the schools CSC ;-)
Anyone fancy a beer in O’Neill Merchant City, before I get the bus home to Dundee? Be there in 5 mins. HH
GTTS
Holy Cross Hamilton csc
Well done to the speakers raising res 12 issue at the AGM, think our board are prepared to give the SFA any amount of time to deal with this, hoping we will get bored and it will die off, I hope many others will prove them wrong, Bankier in a response said an instituition too big to fail failed, sorry have the SFA gone into liquidation?
If that is indicative of the board’s attitude to the resolution no wonder it is getting nowhere and no-one on the board appears to care about this.
As usual AGM full of ifs n buts HH