I live next to Celtic Park, it’s a dream location for a Hoops fan – but one major issue drives neighbours mad
MOST Hoops fans call it 'Paradise' - but one lucky supporter gets to call Celtic Park 'home'.
Dedicated followers of the Scottish Premiership champions savour every trip they make to watch their heroes in action in the east end of Glasgow.
For Margaret McDonald, every day is spent living beside the huge stadium and she couldn't be happier.
The Scottish Sun visited the local residents around Parkhead to hear first hand what it was like to live next door to one of the biggest sports stadiums in the UK.
We also visited Ibrox stadium to hear from residents there.
One local who lives next to Rangers' ground told how she loves it because she can get a freshly made burger or hotdog outside her front door.
Many people might worry that the large crowds would bring noise and mess.
But Margaret, 67, says any sign that there had been 60,000 fans in the Parkhead area are quickly cleared up after the match has finished.
She said: “I wouldn’t have bought the flat if there were many issues with football and mess.
"The streets and roads are cleaned up pretty quickly by the council or club.
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"I go to the matches as I’m a season ticket holder. I would say it is great."
Margaret did reveal that there is one big issue with living next to Celtic Park.
Along with many other residents, she complained that the burger van that parks near her house can cause problems.
She added: "The only real issue we have would be the parking and the burger van for the residents.
"The guy bothers residents at five or six in the morning buzzing people’s flats and asking people if they know whose car is parked in his spot.
"He is just entitled and harassing us.
"Sometimes he will wait downstairs until somebody comes out to talk about it.
"He would say things like ‘I’ve been parking here for 15 years, long before you were here and one of the residents would reply ‘I used to drink 15 years ago in a field but there are houses there now. I don’t drink in their garden’."
Another resident, Masooma Nijati, also raised the issue of the takeaway truck, but overall is happy with how the streets are cleaned up after every game.
Masooma, 33, said: "Sometimes it is a bit of an inconvenience on matchday with the noise but overall it isn’t that bad.
"My newborn had some problems but he is a big boy now and it’s not an issue.
"The only real issue would be the burger van.
"The guy sometimes knocks on our doors trying to figure out which resident’s car is parked outside the door telling us ‘This is my spot’ and then asking us to move our car. I only did it once.
"Overall, after matches the volunteers and workers do a good job in cleaning up."
Andrea Greco, 40 and his partner Michelle Carolan, 36, also complained about the food van - but says the fans are great.
Andrea said: "Most of our problems come from the guy who parks his burger van outside the main door.
"They have boxed in residents because their van is so close to the cars.
"He would buzz residents at five in the morning sometimes asking us who parked in 'his spot’.
"A few days before the match at the weekend they can park their own cars in the spot to ensure they get the spot for matchday.
"We don’t hear much of the noise despite being really close to the stadium, due to the double glazing.
"We have fans coming into the closes or sitting on the stairs a few times and they get in when somebody buzzes to come in.
"But the fans are really great. There isn’t much of an issue with mess as it is cleaned up."
One resident who wished not to be named said: "The best time for living here was during lockdown because there were no football matches on.
"There were no crowds or hassle but we don’t mind the football culture.
"But it is a fact on match days we cannot go anywhere two hours before or after because there are tons of people.
"We also have the issue of people selling hats and other merchandise on the street shouting so loudly that sometimes you just want to shout back ‘shut up’.
"At the weekend, if the weather is nice, we plan to spend the day away from Glasgow.
"The food vans are an absolute nightmare. They stay here from early in the morning.
"The food trucks often block residents who are parked and spill oil on the street.
"One of the residents claimed that they saw one of them pouring oil on the street."
Another local who didn't want to be named took serious issue with the burger van, saying: "It is intimidation.
"We have reported him to the police for harassment.
"He will be buzzing at six in the morning on people’s doors and if no one replies he will stand in the doorway.
"He would tell us ‘I know who this car belongs too’.
"Apparently, he has a little book and list of who the car owner is so he can go to them if there is an issue with the parking.
"Sometimes, on the odd occasion, we get a few fans climbing the fence into the communal garden where they would dump their bottles and booze.
"The street gets cleaned but one of the residents cleans up the hedges as it is covered in bottles."
Many of the local businesses we visited told how the huge matchday crowds brought very welcome extra custom.
An artist who painted Celtic legend Bertie Auld has revealed that match days probably saved his business.
George Smith whose shop is based on Gallowgate Road explained that the area struggles to get the required footfall even when The Forge shopping centre is busy.
George, 68, revealed that he painted the Lisbon Lion hero back in the day and sells copies of that painting at his shop, Imaggeo Gallery.
The painter, who is semi-retired, explained that match days were his biggest days.
He said: "I have been here for 10 years.
"I have people coming from England, and Ireland especially Celtic fans who don’t drink come in for a chat after the match or before the match.
"Business is much better for turnout on a match day.
"I turn everything to Celtic on match days.
"Before the pandemic, I would be here every day and sometimes not have a single customer come in.
"After Covid, I only now come in on match days.
"This street even when the forge is busy doesn’t get the footfall.
"Match days probably saved the business."
Frank Lumsden, owner of Cross Butcher’s, revealed that many supporters stop off at his shop on their way home to pick up their dinner!
He said: "Some days it can be quite bad as customers are unable to get parked and we lose trade.
"It is difficult to say as on match days it probably is counteracted by the fact we get a lot of walk-ins buying sausage or steak pies."
Nicola Cullen, 41, manager at The Roll Shop, said: "It is a good thing for us the football.
"We get a lot of business on match days. Trade tends to double.
"We don’t get any trouble here. Most of the customers are regulars so it is more banter than anything else."
Adnan Shamdin, 47 owner of Star Mini Market, loves operating his business so close to Celtic Park.
He said: "They are amazing the fans. We get a lot of them coming in on match days.
"The majority of fans are good but we can get the odd bad one. But most of the time they are lovely.
"Some think the fence in front of the shop is for their bottles or rubbish so they can use that a lot to get rid of their waste."
Margaret Docherty, 51, owner of Springfield Cafe, said: "It is great for trade.
"Match days are really busy for us. We get a lot coming in for a pie, sausage roll or something else.
"We get a mixed bunch - old, young, families. We have only been here a year but, it is great.
"We have had a lot of first-timers come back due to the football.
";We haven’t had any issues. We’ve only been open a year and it is great.
"There are a lot of burger vans at the bottom of the road and it causes issues for a lot of residents with parking being an issue."
However, a local businessman, who wished not to be named, told the Scottish Sun: "It is s***e.
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"I feel sorry for the local residents who are trapped inside their flats for four to five hours on match days."
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