PETER LAWWELL has sent a message to the Scottish Government and local councils by proving Celtic’s worth to the wider community in Scotland.
An independent study commisioned by Celtic showed that in the invincible season the club was worth around £165million to the Scottish economy – more than the Commonwealth games were.
Also, there was a particular attention drawn to how much Celtic were bringing in from international visitors over the course of a season.
It’s a shame this commission has had to be made in order for some to see how much this club is engrained into the very fabric of Scotland and how it continues to pay dividends for the country.
Speaking about the findings Lawwell told the Celtic FC Website:
“We commissioned this research because of a feeling that the economic contribution from football in general and Celtic in particular is consistently under-valued.
“While a huge amount of attention is rightly paid to one-off events like the Commonwealth Games and other activities which attract interest to Scotland and Glasgow, football’s economic contribution tends to be overlooked – yet it brings people here from around the world.”
During the investigation, an incredible 54 per cent of visitors from outside Scotland who visit Glasgow to attend Celtic clashes were found to pay accommodation for an average of 1.7 nights.
The report estimates that there are just over 90,000 bed nights related to matches in Glasgow featuring Celtic over the course of a season.”
This news comes at a time when Glasgow City Council are trying their best to displace Celtic fans who drive to the game on matchdays.
They are currently pushing forward a perimeter around the ground where Celtic fans will NOT be able to park on matchdays – leaving many with very few options to get to the game.
It seems like we are in a constant battle with authorities when in fact Celtic are doing more than their bit.
Speaking about this specifically – Lawwell said:
“There is a great deal in this report for the club and its supporters to take pride in.
“We also hope that the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council will recognise that Celtic and football more generally are significant economic players when it comes to issues like transportation links and tourism promotion.
