Getting to Celtic Park on a matchday can be a hassle for many supporters. Whether by ferry, flight, train, or car, though, fans turn up in their droves each week.
That will never change, although plans from Glasgow City Council will undoubtedly be of detriment to commuting supporters.
According to Glasgow Times, Glasgow City Council is set to re-introduce restrictive parking zones in and around Celtic Park on matchdays. It is said such a measure will ‘protect’ local residents from ‘unacceptable’ parking.
Pre-pandemic, there were event-day parking zones in place at Parkhead, but they were stopped due to the disruption of COVID-19. They have now been brought back.
Previously, if someone parked in a restricted zone three hours before the kick-off of a match and one hour after the full-time whistle sounded, they would face a £60 fine. One imagines the same will be the case this time around.
General view of sprinklers on the pitch before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
It is said the plans will be put into place as early as May next year, although the implementation of them from the Council completely ignores the need for drastic modernisation of Scotland’s transport system.
This measure in no way improves things, rather, it is unsustainable and simply causes more hassle to supporters. If they can’t park nearer stadia, they will do so further out, or even take public transport. In turn, the numbers on trains and the like will then increase, which will only cause congestion and overcrowding to rise.
The Council need to take a bigger look at things, rather than introducing a restrictive measure that targets football fans who have few sustainable ways of travelling to games.
