When Celtic announced they were opening a bar to fans before and after games, I thought it was a long overdue idea. People are going to the game, and people like to have a pint before the game, so why not try and capture some of that cash for the club rather than letting it go to a third party?
While the concept of the bar is sound, the execution is a bit corporate and bland.
Being blatantly honest, the space is wasted. You must show your ticket to the game to gain entry, then up a set of stairs that isn't at all well signposted where you should go, and through what look like a set of fire doors into... well, a hall.
If you set up a disco at a church hall, it would look like this. The space is populated with tables and chairs, a couple of nice barrel style seats, but not much else. There's one bar on the side, and screens dotted about the place showing Sky Sports News. On occasion, there is a live music act playing, but I have yet to see this in person.
It's usually jammed full of people, and horrendously busy, so it's working. It just feels a bit of a wasted space. We're in Celtic Park, why not make an effort with the decoration, other than the sponsored header over the bar?
Why not have some murals of famous moments? Club memorabilia? Even show Celtic TV or highlights of games gone by? I have heard of game highlights from other people, but again, never seen it myself.
It's a fine concept, and it does seem to be an ongoing process of tweaking and updating, so I'll report back next season, probably. You just get the feeling it could and should be more. read more