Celtic vs Hibs Soccer - 25/09/10 Glasgow

Celtics vs Hibernians at Glasgow - Sunday 25/09/10

Benny the Scalper

This morning Benny, his friend Aiden (from Australia) and son plus Dad and I travelled to Glasgow for the Celtics and Hibs (Hibernian) soccer game at the Celtics Park. The crowd was good and getting into the mood with chants. There were people selling scarves and other Celtic memorabilia outside the stadium.  Typical of Bennys character he decided to try and sell a spare ticket he had. He had the ticket raised in the air and was yelling out that he had a ticket for sale. No-one wanted to buy it. As we neared the gates Benny gave the ticket to another scalper to sell. Our seats (just Dad & I) were in a different location to Benny. We had access to a lounge for food and drinks at half time. It is similar to a corporate box but not quite as flash.

Approach to Celtic Park in Glasgow

Some scarves and a ticket for sale

The Celtic team is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the 2007/08 season, and the Scottish Cup 34 times. Celtic's home stadium is Celtic Park, the biggest football stadium in Scotland, with a capacity of 60,832. 




Together with their Glasgow rivals, Rangers, they form the Old Firm, one of the most famous and fierce rivalries in sport. The club's traditional playing colours are green and white hooped shirts with white shorts and white socks.


Our seats were behind the goal and gave us a great view. The crowd were passionate with chanting, yelling and singing as the atmosphere built for the game. The Celtic Club fans were in one corner on the opposite side of the park. What was interesting 

Some the crowd

about them was that you could hear them singing over 100 metres away, not to mention dancing throughout the match. In front of them they had two guys banging away on drums that echoed throughout the stadium. These fans danced side to side, almost like a mexican wave but side to side and from where I sat was quite cool.

Although the stadium was almost full, it did not have the same atmosphere as the Manchester United game against Liverpool at Old Trafford the previous week.

The game itself was great to watch, there were some good passes and inter plays but it was obvious the Celtics team was the better.

Testing the Keeper

Just before half time Dad and I went to the lounge that our tickets gave us access to. We got some food to eat about 2 minutes before half time. When other people came in after the half time whistle the food was gone very quickly. People just grabbed what they wanted, some had 3 or 4 pies! 

A near miss

The second half was good to watch and the Celtics won 2-1. Dad was happy because of his Scottish ancestry and the Celtic Club being close to where is family came from.

After the game we drove to Uddingston to see if we could see Dad’s Grandmothers house at 17 Church Street. It is no longer there and probably demolished to make way for the flats that are now on the corner. Dad took some photos of the area and of a cottage across the road that would probably be the same type as where my great grandmother lived in the very early 1900’s. In fact Nana told me her mother was actually born in the house at Uddingston.

Church St from number 17

Where 17 Church was

Similar cottage to my great grandmothers (opposite)

After arriving back at Bathgate we had dinner at the Balbairdie Pub. This is when Dad and I got to try a traditional Scottish dish. Do you know what it was? If you guessed Haggis then you would be right. It is a difficult flavour to describe, it has it’s own taste but despite being sheep’s guts was very  nice. 












We had it a few times, twice at the pub and again at my godmother Kelly’s home in Edinburgh when she stuffed chicken breasts with it. I think Katie should try it, after all it is vegetarian.