An unforgettable Tour of Paradise, a truly beautiful experience

The Celtic Star

·23 marzo 2025

An unforgettable Tour of Paradise, a truly beautiful experience

With no football on Saturday afternoon I attended Celtic park for a tour of our fantastic stadium, and a delve into our illustrious history…

It was a great birthday gift I’d received thanks to my eldest child Liam who also attended with me. Both of us had done the tour before, but it was almost a decade since we’d last done so.

Despite being a regular in the Celtic Park stands, there is something different about doing the tour inside the stadium with the boardroom and the first team changing rooms included among other usually unseen areas of the stadium. Both of us were mesmerised as we were took on an hour long journey through Paradise with the several other supporters in attendance.

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The Empire Exhibition Trophy. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Our tour guide Tony was fantastic and clearly had a great depth and knowledge of the football club as he explained the significance of the many honours and other historical items on display. The Big Cup, The Empire Exhibition Cup, The Coronation Cup, several iconic jerseys and other match worn memorabilia were among the items present in a highly impressive trophy cabinet which sits in the boardroom.

As someone who has done a lot of research into the club I like to think I’m quite knowledgeable myself when it comes to all things Celtic, but I picked up a few interesting facts that I’d previously been unaware of, so it was a very worthwhile and educational experience. Every day is a school day as they say.

Celtic’s 2024 trophy haul. Photo Celtic FC

The dressing rooms had been refurbished since my last visit and now look totally befitting of an elite football club. It was a truly wonderful experience to sit in the dressing room that is not only home to our present day hero’s but our past legends. Those same legends whose images adored the walls as we were guided along the tour.

As we made our way through the players tunnel to the sound of the Champions League music and entered the dugout area, it was a truly beautiful experience. The stadium might have been empty, but it was a sight to behold just to look around this truly magnificent stadium from the touchline where Brendan regularly prowls on match days.

Celtic Park. Picture by Mark Runnacles Shutterstock

I gazed at my seat high up in the corner of the Jock Stein stand, and it looked tiny in comparison to me who felt ten feet tall standing where so many of my hero’s once stood.

We both finished the tour mighty impressed as we headed for a three course meal in the number seven restaurant. The meal and service was as equally impressive as our tour of Paradise. A great day all round, if you haven’t sampled it, I highly recommend it. Thanks to my son for the thoughtful gift, and everyone else involved in a truly wonderful day.

Just an Ordinary Bhoy

INVINCIBLE – The story of Celtic’s Wonderful, Magical, Treble Winning Invincible Season. Order at Celticstarbooks.com

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