Securing a Celtic season ticket these days feels akin to winning a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s factory—coveted, elusive, and nearly impossible for the everyday fan to claim. If you’re one of the many who find themselves locked out of Paradise, take heart; you’re far from alone. Trying to get your hands on one of these season books is like attempting to grab the last sausage roll at a Greggs during lunchtime: blink, and it’s gone.
The surge in demand for a Celtic season ticket has reached unprecedented heights in the past decade, a fact underlined by Celtic’s decision to close the waiting list around three years ago. Even now, the club is only scratching the surface of that list. Why? The answer lies in the remarkable loyalty of the fanbase.
Over the past two seasons, Celtic season ticket renewal rates have hit jaw-dropping figures of 98% and 99%. Those numbers are almost unheard of in the realm of football, where even the most fervent supporters of top European clubs often fall short of such steadfast dedication. It’s like your granddad’s ancient TV remote: it might be battered, taped up, and missing a few buttons, but good luck getting him to part with it.
This loyalty creates a self-perpetuating cycle where new hopefuls are perpetually out of luck. For those unable to afford or commit to a season ticket during Brendan Rodgers’ first tenure, the reality today is harsh: the odds of securing a book are slim. Even those who managed to get their names on the waiting list before it closed find themselves battling against time and circumstance.
Reports of emails from the club inviting fans to snap up any rare season ticket returns on a first-come, first-served basis paint a picture of high-stakes desperation. Miss the email or react too slowly, and you’re left staring at an empty inbox and another missed chance.
Currently, Celtic sell approximately 52,000 to 53,000 season tickets per season, reserving the remaining few thousand seats in their 60,000-capacity fortress for general sale and away fan allocations. But therein lies a paradox: despite these record-breaking sales, empty seats still dot Celtic Park on matchdays, sparking debates about how best to manage attendance.
The idea of a Celtic season ticket exchange has been floated as a solution—one where season ticket holders unable to attend could release their seat for others to purchase for that match. While a noble concept, it could inadvertently keep the existing status quo intact, enabling fans to hold onto their coveted season books without relinquishing them, even if they miss a significant number of games. It’s like having a gym membership you barely use but cling to just in case inspiration strikes.
Talk of redeveloping the main stand to add more capacity surfaces often, fuelled by dreams of a stadium that can accommodate the throngs of supporters currently left out in the cold. While this could theoretically add thousands of seats that would easily sell out during European nights and high-stakes derby matches, there’s the niggling issue of seats that sit empty on less glamorous days. Not to mention the incredible cost of such a venture that even a cash rich Celtic would struggle to fund without a massive share issue. It’s a reminder that the intricate dance of supply, demand, and attendance patterns would remain even with an expanded Celtic Park.
So, if you’re still waiting for the moment you can proudly wave your Celtic season ticket in the air, know that thousands share the struggle. The club’s unyielding renewal rates and the structural limitations of the stadium have made it one of the toughest tickets in football to come by. The club’s fans, undeterred by near-impossible odds, continue to cling to hope, echoing that familiar refrain: You’ll never walk alone. But when it comes to a Celtic season ticket, sometimes it feels like you might.
Why can’t the increase the capacity to 70 thousand that would give them more season ticket holders and still leave enough for away fans to buy tickets and Celtic fans to buy on the day of the match. So makes no difference if not always a full house they have already have the season ticket money banked and plus more drinks food and Celtic shop sales makes good business sense.
I originally used to stand at the left side of the Janefield end of Paradise. My father, his great uncles, brothers, me and brothers all stood there in all weathers, win, lose or draw.
When Paradise was revamped in 1995-, I stood in Hampden. Then when the park was three quarters built, I and my older brother sat firstly in the left side of the main stand (couldn’t afford elsewhere) and both of us relinquished oor card rights, in 2000.
Later on (even though I chose to watch gemes on and off) I bought a Lisbon Lions 416 seat for gemes before November 2001. As they were quite cheap.
I got the next seat to me (and the end of the stairs) just at the split, meaning no derbies to see.
Stayed there until 2003, we managed a move to the corner of the Jock Stein stand at the back, as singers of sea shanties were required to ‘ liven up that corner’ by the Jungle Bhoys.
That was 445. Left that seat after 2015 season as It was becoming too expensive to sit their again, to have a full home game package.
Now as you say, getting like gold dust, to watch Celtic play.
So the queue for season cards is as difficult as ever. When I sat at my seats, I was amazed by the amount seats at both ends, that remained empty.
I was informed by Cfc plc at both times saying ‘ someone has that (those) seats. They pay for them, we can’t give you a seat that’s already paid for’.
So I regularly went to most games (after giving my season card to my brother) and as my brother had my season card, he would step through the gate, hold it for me, I would simply walk in and sit at the seat.
And me, my partner and my brother sat there, no one ever said nothing, no one ever said ‘ git Tae fuc& aff ma seat ‘.
One other issue of redeveloping the main stand is want you do with the 7500 people who currently sit there, almost all of them, season ticket holders.
I’d love to see the stadium completed. I just don’t think it will happen .
With total disrespect for British way of life singing your ira songs why don’t you join the Irish league
Why not get the celtic supporter s to buy into the club get some money from that for the new stand