Favourite quirks of Scottish stadiums.

[Fuctifano]

Firhill having a 70,000 capacity is insane. Think the biggest I've been in is when we played one of the arse cheeks in the early 90s when we had 3 sides terracing and that was 18,000. If you applied less rigorous H&S I reckon you could have got double in, but 4 times that? Mental.

[HibeeJibee]

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

7 minutes ago, Fuctifano said:

Firhill having a 70,000 capacity is insane. Think the biggest I've been in is when we played one of the arse cheeks in the early 90s when we had 3 sides terracing and that was 18,000. If you applied less rigorous H&S I reckon you could have got double in, but 4 times that? Mental.

What are the chances all those huge attendance figures are fake, made up in the press box with no actual numbers?

[Fuctifano]

Just now, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

What are the chances all those huge attendance figures are fake, made up in the press box with no actual numbers?

Same folk that do the attendances at Ross County to this very day tbh.

Was more the listed capacity I was expressing surprise at.

[1320Lichtie]

?

I must be speaking shite Bateman?

I was told to go through a tunnel to get to the away stand when we played you in the LC. From memory I walked through it and the stand was right in front of me, the far side where the TV cameras are?

I was pretty drunk though, just thought that was the standard way to get to the away stand? f**k knows.

[Fuctifano]

Depending what angle you approach from there's a multi storey car park you can walk through to get to NDP but there's no tunnel.

[realmadrid]

For those who are interested in stadiums or don't know much about Cowdenbeath's Central Park this documentary is worth a watch

 

 

This was part of a university project by Ross Cunningham who now works for St Johnstone.

[Davie Bhoy]

I love the Sky Box at Celtic Park. Gives a wee bit of uniqueness to our stadium as well as one of the last links to the old stadium I stood and watched the Hoops in as I was growing up.

Was lucky enough to finally get to see inside it during one of the many tours I have done of the stadium & was amazed to hear the tour guide say how it used to be the media who went up there until Fergus McCann came to the club and realised the best seats in the house were being given to the media for free. He changed it into two large hospitality suites & now they charge a fortune for them.

I asked the guide how much they cost and he says that even if you were a lottery winner you wouldn't get them because it's the same two companies who have held them for years & they get first refusal on them but keep renewing & paying mega bucks for them.

If ever we do get round to building another tier on the main stand, I hope they retain the Sky Box in it.

[HibeeJibee]

Capacities are as supplied to the SFL for 1939-40 (or possibly 1938-39), taken from David Ross's book "The ROAR of the Crowd", p57

If anything the record attendances may well have been slightly more than those claimed, due to people scaling walls or boys getting lifted over the turnstiles.

Remember there was gate-sharing in those days so it's unlikely that crowds were faked. Frequently attendances and receipts were issued to the newspaper.

Take Hampden as an example - it occupies roughly the same footprint today, holding 52,000 seated, as it did when it was certified for over 180,000 and held several 150,000 crowd.


No concern for gangways, fire exits, segregation etc. and people just crammed in:

 

Edited August 28, 2016 by HibeeJibee

[Jimboyjones1976]

I made a redesign of the Recs in Alloa last year using Google Sketch Up for a class I was teaching in 3D CAD. It's got an angled stand at the railway end. Capacity matches the current capacity. All it needs is for Mulraney to dig deep into his pockets. Until then, I'll keep dreaming.

[CityDave]

One of the last great covered standing areas in Scottish football.

[HibeeJibee]

36 minutes ago, Fuctifano said:

Firhill having a 70,000 capacity is insane. Think the biggest I've been in is when we played one of the arse cheeks in the early 90s when we had 3 sides terracing and that was 18,000. If you applied less rigorous H&S I reckon you could have got double in, but 4 times that? Mental.

Correction to previous - ground record at Firhill is 54,723 (Scotland v Northern Ireland) set 25th February 1928. Club record is 49,838.

Article by the great Bob Cramspey confirms capacity was 60,000+ well into 1950s.

Edited August 28, 2016 by HibeeJibee

[TheCelt67]

5 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

Reposted from an old thread - these were the capacities of SFL stadiums just before the outbreak of war in 1939.

City Park is the same ground people will recall Spartans playing Livingston and St Mirren on a few years ago.


EDIT: I've also put the record attendances. In some cases - notably Hibs and QotS - grounds were expanded post-war.
 

First Division

Pittodrie, Aberdeen......... 42,000 ... 45,061 (v Hearts)

Cliftonhill, Coatbridge..... 28,000 ... 27,381 (v Rangers)

Recreation Park, Alloa...... 20,000 ... 15,467 (v Celtic)

Gayfield, Arbroath.......... 15,000 ... 13,510 (v Rangers)

Somerset Park, Ayr.......... 28,000 ... 25,225 (v Rangers)

Celtic Park, Glasgow........ 95,000 ... 83,500 (v Rangers)

Shawfield, Glasgow.......... 55,000 ... 48,000 (v Rangers)

Central Park, Cowdenbeath... 35,000 ... 25,586 (v Rangers)

Brockville, Falkirk......... 35,000 ... 23,100 (v Celtic)

Douglas Park, Hamilton...... 30,000 ... 26,890 (v Hearts)

Tynecastle, Edinburgh....... 60,000 ... 53,396 (v Rangers)

Easter Road, Edinburgh...... 35,000 ... 65,850 (v Hearts)

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock...... 35,000 ... 35,995 (v Rangers)

Fir Park, Motherwell........ 38,000 ... 35,632 (v Rangers)

Firhill, Glasgow............ 70,000 ... 49,838 (v Rangers) - ground record 54,723 (Scotland v Northern Ireland)

Palmerston Park, Dumfries... 12,000 ... 26,552 (v Hearts)

Ibrox Park, Glasgow........ 100,000 .. 118,567 (v Celtic)

Muirton Park, Perth......... 30,000 ... 29,972 (v Dundee)

Love Street, Paisley........ 50,000 ... 47,438 (v Celtic)

Cathkin Park, Glasgow....... 45,000 ... 45,591 (v Rangers)

Second Division

Broomfield Park, Airdrie.... 28,000 ... 26,000 (v Hearts)

Glebe Park, Brechin.......... 5,000 .... 8,123 (v Aberdeen)

Boghead, Dumbarton.......... 15,000 ... 18,001 (v Raith Rovers)

Dens Park, Dundee........... 40,000 ... 43,024 (v Rangers)

Tannadice Park, Dundee...... 25,000 ... 28,000 (v Barcelona)

East End Park, Dunfermline.. 20,000 ... 28,816 (v Celtic)

Bayview, Methil............. 20,000 ... 22,515 (v Raith Rovers)

Firs Park, Falkirk.......... 12,000 ... 12,000 (v Partick Thistle)

City Park, Edinburgh........ 30,000 .... 6,000 (v St Bernard's)

Station Park, Forfar........ 10,000 ... 10,780 (v Rangers)

Old Forthbank, Stirling..... 10,000 .... 8,911 (v Airdrieonians)

Old Meadowbank, Edinburgh... 22,000 ... 21,000 (v Celtic)

Links Park, Montrose........ 10,000 ... 8,983 (v Dundee)

Cappielow, Greenock......... 25,000 ... 23,500 (v Celtic)

Hampden Park, Glasgow...... 183,388 ... 95,772 (v Celtic) - ground football record 149,547 (Scotland v England)

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy..... 35,000 ... 31,301 (v Hearts)

Royal Gymnasium, Edinburgh.. 40,000 ... 15,000 (v Hearts)

Ochilview, Larbert........... 8,000 ... 12,500 (v East Fife)

 

Celtic Park's record attendance for a Celtic game is up for debate.  Some sources have it as 92,000 for Celtic vs Rangers, some have it as 88,500 and some have it 83,500.  The Scottish Cup Final between Kilmarnock and Albion Rovers is listed as 95,000 which would be the stadiums record.

I am sure Queen's Park's record attendance was against Rangers and not Celtic.

[HibeeJibee]

Typo of mine on QP, it was v Rangers.


David Ross in his book devotes some time to the Celtic-Rangers New Year game in 1938. Apparently the first mention of the crowd being 92,000 doesn't occur until after WWII.

All contemporary reports give figures or estimates between 82,000 and 84,000 - officially it was 83,500 - but add "over 10,000 were shut out".


Kilmarnock v Albion Rovers was played at Hampden.


 

Edited August 28, 2016 by HibeeJibee

[TheCelt67]

20 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Typo of mine on QP, it was v Rangers.


David Ross in his book devotes some time to the Celtic-Rangers New Year game in 1938. Apparently the first mention of the crowd being 92,000 doesn't occur until after WWII.

All contemporary reports give figures or estimates between 82,000 and 84,000 - officially it was 83,500 - but add "over 10,000 were shut out".


Kilmarnock v Albion Rovers was played at Hampden.


 

The 92,000 game I was speaking of was in 1918 IIRC.  Although other reports have it as 52,000.  Certainly there is more evidence pointing to Celtic Park's record attendance being 83,500.

I stand corrected regarding the Killie vs Albion Rovers game.  I am sure I seen it listed as Celtic Park somewhere, obviously I or that was wrong.

[1320Lichtie]

1 hour ago, Fuctifano said:

Depending what angle you approach from there's a multi storey car park you can walk through to get to NDP but there's no tunnel.

That's the one, just remember thinking it was strange at the time. Through here and you're at the away gate, couldn't even see the ground before going through 

 

 

[CityDave]

[Daydream]

One of the last great covered standing areas in Scottish football.

Tis a fantastic terrace it has to be said. Would love one at Dens!

[CityDave]

That after thought of an away supporters area at Celtic Park, how anyone can see the whole pitch from there. Indeed its so far back its barely in the picture. Plenty of room though to double up on the stewards. ffs it was only Falkirk.

 

[HibeeJibee]

39 minutes ago, TheCelt67 said:

The 92,000 game I was speaking of was in 1918 IIRC.  Although other reports have it as 52,000.  Certainly there is more evidence pointing to Celtic Park's record attendance being 83,500.

I stand corrected regarding the Killie vs Albion Rovers game.  I am sure I seen it listed as Celtic Park somewhere, obviously I or that was wrong.

Wikipedia does.