Scottish Premier League
Celtic 5-0 Hearts
Celtic Park, Glasgow
Attendance: 58,875
Prior to this match I’d only ever been to Celtic Park on one occasion before, and that was for a European tie. I remember the atmosphere that night being pretty good so my expectations on the day that Celtic were to receive the league trophy were pretty high.
Arriving
at the ground, there was a definite buzz around the place. You could
almost see the three years of disappointment falling off every single
fan as they got closer to the turnstiles.
The party
atmosphere was certainly evident with novelty hats and wigs proudly
sitting atop almost every head! I particularly enjoyed the four guys
outside the Main Stand who were dressed up as “old school”
members of the press.
The
Stadium (quirkiness and comfort) 7/10
Having a
walk around the ground before entry, I noticed something that I
haven't seen at many (if any) other grounds – a cash machine
outside. Brilliant. This was just the start of things though, as I
discovered that Celtic Park is not only frickin massive, but is also
an extremely helpful ground!
The
signposting doesn’t stop there – oh no! Inside the ground, there
is (genuinely) a very useful set of signs that offers fans an insight
into which exists will take them onto certain roads. As someone
unfamiliar with the area, I found this a treat.
Less of a
treat, sadly, was my view from the North Stand which, when looking left
and right was superb. Face on, however, I was sat looking at a giant
pole.
Not
only that, but Celtic Park is the only place I’ve been that even
when seated under a well covered area, the rain still manages to
swirl up and onto your face.
Overall
that, I like Celtic Park as a stadium so it gets a 7/10.
Catering
(quality and price) 3/10
The cold and rain would certainly have been a bit more palatable had
I managed to get my hands (and mouth round) a good cup of tea and a
pie. Unfortunately, I not only paid a ludicrous £4.10 for my usual
combination, but they were also pretty horrendous too.
Now, before I get carried away....we aren't talking Falkirk
Stadium horrendous. My guts were still in tact and I managed to go to
work the next day. However, there isn't a great deal to write home
about. The pie was pretty dry and tasteless. The meat seemed to be
one massive circular chunk, as opposed to a veritable mincy treat as
at say....Ochilview....and the tea was fairly brutal.
Not a great score, unfortunately. The food didn't add to my supporter
experience in a positive sense.
Fans
(scored on both atmosphere & conduct – sporting behaviour,
welcoming nature etc) – 22/25
Something that was more enjoyable, though, was being in amongst the
Celtic faithful. Obviously they had a lot to cheer about, having just
won the league and all that. However, I was particularly impressed by
the way in which the Green Brigade manage to keep the singing going,
even at moments of natural lull and how they engage with all parts of
the stadium. At a few points during the game, they will sing AT a
part of the stadium, German football style, and wait for that part of
the stadium to sing back. They then move onto another part and so on.
This creates a great atmosphere.
There's an unpleasant element to the Green Brigade, of course, that
we've seen in the press and heard of many times – some of my Celtic
supporting friends are the biggest critiques of this group – but on
this occasion they offered nothing but a positive impact on the match
and my experience at it.
The club also do something that gets the fans engaged early doors.
Instead of the team line up simply being read out, Celtic put the
players on the big screen and get whichever player is being announced
to say their first name. The crowd then respond with the surname in
unison. Again, this has been stolen from German football but it's an
element of the Bundesliga experience I enjoy.
Overall, good score for the fans.
Entertainment
on the pitch (quite self explanatory) 20/25
Right,
here's the section about which I have no doubt people will complain.
Despite
winning 5-0 on the day, I actually didn't feel that Celtic played
particularly well! With the exception of Gary Hooper, who scored all
five goals, there were no real stand-outs. All of Celtic's goals were
more as a result of shambolic defending by Hearts than by
outstanding, creative stuff from the home team. Three were tap ins
and one was a penalty – all of which came about from defensive
errors. Otherwise, it wasn't as if Celtic were peppering Hearts goal
with shot after shot and playing liquid stuff.
That
said, some of the play was very enjoyable to watch. Hooper's movement
is quite superb. Samaras, when he gets the ball and runs at players
is a terrifying sight and, fair play to him, Charlie Mulgrew has
indeed turned into a fine footballer with much improved positional
sense and use of the ball.
All in
all, I've scored Celtic quite highly but that's more for the
Hooper-factor than anything else. He is a fine player and one who I
rated very highly indeed.
Value
for money (what you get for your buck) – 21/30
With
all that said, Celtic score pretty well. The stadium offers a
perfectly good viewing experience – just watch that you don't end
up behind a pole! - and while the catering is pretty poor, the fans
(based on this game certainly) create an excellent atmosphere. With
guys like Hooper on the park, there's also the chance of a bit of
magic.
However,
I did end up paying £31 for my ticket and, despite the scoreline and
fan experience, I just can't in all honesty say that Celtic Park is
as good value as some of the SFL clubs charging nearly two-thirds
less to get in.
If
you've never been to see Celtic before though, especially if you are
reading this as a neutral non-Scot looking to take in an SPL tie in
Glasgow, I’d have to say that based on my two experiences at Ibrox
and Parkhead....the East End of the city is probably a better option
for all round value.
I await the accusations of "preferring Celtic" now from certain elements...
Overall Score for Celtic: 73/100
I came across this blog while searching for an image on Google Images for a picture of Celtic Park higher than 2MP res. Your pole picture came up and I saw it was a blog.
ReplyDeleteGood read actually.
One amendment you can now make though - Parkhead is the ONLY place in Glasgow you can see SPL action!
Haha! At the time it was written, it was entirely accurate!
DeleteThanks for taking some time to have a read and place a comment though. Much appreciated.
Haha! At the time it was written, it was entirely accurate!
DeleteThanks for taking some time to have a read and place a comment though. Much appreciated.