Last night, Celts Are Here released a compelling article on Celtic’s season ticket waiting list and the reasons why fans so rarely get offered season tickets at our club.

According to the piece, the reason is simple: our renewal rates are astonishingly high, sitting at 98-99% every single year. It’s a remarkable figure that has once again sparked debate about whether Celtic Park could undergo a major refurbishment.

Many within Celtic have explored the idea of expanding the main stand, potentially adding another 10,000 or even 20,000 seats. A 10,000-seat expansion seems more feasible than pushing capacity up to 80,000, and I believe we could comfortably sell those additional seats, generating a healthy seven-figure boost to our income from season tickets alone.

For that reason, a lot of people think this would be a smart move.

But there’s a crucial question to answer before any plans could move forward: what would it actually cost? Some believe the expense would vastly outweigh the benefits, at least in the short term. Additionally, we’d likely take a major attendance hit for at least a year, as the main stand would have to close during construction.

Logistically, it’s difficult to envision how this could be done, at least at the moment. I’ve heard cost estimates as high as £80 million, which would significantly eat into our cash reserves; in fact, at that cost it virtually wipes them out.

While it’s clear that the main stand will eventually need some form of renovation, the scale and purpose of that renovation remain hard to predict at this time.

Ironically, one of the biggest challenges would be explaining to current main stand season ticket holders that they’d lose their seats for the duration of the project. Relocating them would be impossible, as we’re all well aware, and there’s substantial revenue tied up in those seats, the hospitality areas, and other facilities within the main stand.

All of this would go on hiatus for at least 12 months, if not longer.

I understand the argument that, if we’re going to commit to major infrastructure spending, it should be focused on something that creates additional revenue, and adding 10,000 seats certainly achieves that. Even on the higher end of the cost estimates, the project could pay for itself in around 20 years—a small fraction of Celtic’s future timeline. Another 10,000 seats would provide a further structural advantage that Ibrox couldn’t compete with.

There are strong reasons to pursue this project, and equally strong reasons for caution. While we have the cash reserves to invest now, the practical challenges of executing this plan are substantial. If we were to proceed, it would be essential to ensure the work is completed quickly and that we have a solid plan for existing season ticket holders in the meantime.

The rewards are obvious: 10,000 more season ticket holders would bring increased spending across the board, potentially adding another £10 million to our annual income and speeding up the project’s payback.

It’s a subject that’s been looked at in the past and will undoubtedly come up again in the future. Now, with cash reserves in the bank, there’s a good case for considering it seriously.

But ultimately, it all comes down to what’s feasible. A multi-year project would present even more challenges, whereas a one-year undertaking with some short-term sacrifices could yield substantial long-term rewards.

This is precisely what the smart minds at Celtic Park are paid to decide, and I don’t envy them. It’s clear that if we’re to be regarded as an elite club, significant infrastructure investment around Celtic Park will be necessary, whether or not that involves additional seating. If we’re going to do it, though, it has to be done right.