Despite the success of such initiatives last season, which saw record attendances at Parkhead for the Scottish Women’s Premier League, CEO Michael Nicholson and CFO Chris McKay have declined to support the plans this time around.

The statement expressed disappointment and frustration with the decision, highlighting the contrast between last year’s collaborative efforts to promote women’s matches and the current stance of the club’s leadership. The refusal to facilitate The Celtic End, according to the Green Brigade and Bhoys Celtic, appears to be a missed opportunity to continue building on the momentum and support for Celtic FC Women, as well as to enhance the fan experience at Celtic Park.

The groups accused Nicholson and McKay of being vindictive against the fan-driven initiative, prioritising other concerns over the potential benefits of a vibrant goal-end standing section.

Joint statement re the upcoming Celtic FC Women matches at Celtic Park pic.twitter.com/bahfePuVOG

— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) March 27, 2024

This decision not only undermines the promotion of the women’s game—a point ironically at odds with the club’s previous statements.

As a result of the board’s stance, the Green Brigade and Bhoys Celtic have announced their decision not to attend, what could be, crucial Celtic FC Women matches at Celtic Park.

The group intends to revitalise the Jock Stein stand at Parkhead, transforming it into an iconic standing area reminiscent of Borussia Dortmund’s renowned Yellow Wall.

The Celtic End proved to be a tremendous success last season, drawing record-breaking crowds and creating a formidable home advantage as the team battled for the league title.

With the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) anticipated to be fiercely competitive again this season, the presence of The Celtic End is expected to play a pivotal role in boosting the team’s morale and performance.

Last May, Paradise belonged to the Ghirls as record crowds got behind them for a dramatic season end.

Once again, fans have the opportunity to join The Celtic End and create the same wall of noise and colour that inspired the Ghirls.

Ticket details will be confirmed ASAP. pic.twitter.com/wF0Dos3De1

— North Curve Celtic (@NCCeltic) March 25, 2024

Celtic Women previously announced that their match against Hearts on April 21st and the season finale against Hibs on May 19th will be held at Celtic Park. These fixtures present an opportunity for fans to rally behind the team in a crucial period of the season, as the title race intensifies.

The aim long term is to bring the Celtic End into the men’s game, but this isn’t something the club are looking at, at least in the near future.

Ticketing information for Celtic Women’s matches against Hearts and Hibs will follow in due course.

This encounter comes at a pivotal moment in the league, with Celtic having the opportunity to narrow the gap at the top of the table to just one point with a victory. The 16:10 kickoff on Sunday promises to be a fierce contest, with both teams eager to assert their dominance in the league.

You can Get your tickets for Excelsior Stadium here.

Celtic and Rangers were recently drawn against each other in the Scottish Cup, with the match scheduled to take place on the 27th or 28th of April.

Under the guidance of new boss Elena Sadiku, Celtic FC Women have enjoyed a resurgence in form. Despite initial challenges against Rangers and Glasgow City, Sadiku has led the team on an impressive six-game unbeaten run. As they prepare to face Rangers, the team is undoubtedly buoyed by their recent performances and will be aiming to extend their unbeaten streak to seven matches.

The stakes are high as the league campaign enters its final stretch, with ten matches remaining and nine after this weekend. Celtic’s aspirations of clinching the league title hinge on their ability to overcome formidable opponents, including Glasgow City, who have consistently been among the top contenders in Scottish women’s football.

Caitlin Hayes, who’s become a regular in the Ireland set up, believes the momentum is with the side under their new boss.

She told Celtic TV: “As a team collectively, we now probably understand Elena and what she expects and what she is driving each day in training.

“With that, the performances have obviously only got better and the momentum is definitely with us.”

She continued: “You always want to play in the big games, and it probably doesn’t get bigger than this. So we are just excited for the opportunity.

“I’ve been here a while now. Every time playing this fixture, it’s something we take in our stride and enjoy. Hopefully we can come back with the three points.”

The game will serve to raise money for the Celtic FC Foundation and the Dundee Cancer Centre at Ninewells Hospital in honour of Scott Brown’s late sister Fiona, although a potential clash involving it has emerged.

Indeed, the charity match is scheduled for Sunday the 26th of May 2024, the same date that the Scottish Women’s Cup Final is set for. Celtic have realistic ambitions of being there; they take on Montrose in the quarter-finals this weekend.

Last year, the Hoops took on Rangers in the final of the competition. It was a memorable day for the players and fans at Hampden as the Celts won 2-0 to make it back-to-back Scottish Cups.

Over 10,000 fans cheered on the teams that day but if Celtic make the final yet again, a similar crowd may not be expected. Supporters will naturally take more of an interest in the game at Parkhead.

Elena Sadiku and her players will resultantly be neglected through no fault of their own. Perhaps the legends’ match could have been played on another weekend, although the women are yet to secure their place in the final.

If they do, though, an issue will arise and Celtic fans will be given a dilemma over what game to attend.

This significant project represents a substantial investment in the future of the club, underscoring a commitment to developing talent at all levels, from the academy to the first teams.

The Barrowfield site, rich in Celtic history as the training ground for the legendary Lisbon Lions, is set to transform into a world-class training hub. This facility is designated to become the primary training ground for Celtic’s Women’s first team, as well as the Boys’ and Girls’ Academies.

The highly anticipated facility is set to open later this year.

Chris McCart, Head of Academy, expressed enthusiasm for the project, saying: [Celtic FC]

“This is the biggest investment and development since Lennoxtown and it’s one which the Academy is very excited about.

“It’s going to be a boost for all our young players coming through the club.”

Elena Sadiku, the new head coach for Celtic FC Women, shared her excitement about the implications of the new training centre for the women’s team.

“It’s going to be easier for me to sell this idea of how we want to be as a club, our vision, and help them to achieve something. It’s going to be incredible when it’s done.”

Celtic TV cameras will be following the world along the way.

🚧 Work has begun on #CelticFC's brand new state of the art training centre!

The new centre at Barrowfield will be the base for the Women’s first team, as well as both boys & girls academies 🍀

Find out more 📲 https://t.co/zXYZzRE42I 📲 pic.twitter.com/9XuIsEl8ak

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) February 21, 2024

The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, saw Celtic dominate much of the game but unable to secure a win as Rangers equalised late in the match.

The cancellation of tickets just a day before the game, attributed by Rangers to concerns over high-risk supporters, has been met with criticism from various quarters. Caitlin Hayes made a pointed statement by wearing a T-shirt with the message “Football without fans is nothing,” directly addressing the cancellation decision.

Rangers’ action has led to a wider discussion about the impact such decisions have on the women’s game, particularly in terms of fan engagement and atmosphere at matches. Alison McConnell, speaking on PLZ Soccer, criticised the move as “amateur hour” and “embarrassing,” highlighting the adverse effects on the game’s promotion and growth. The attendance figure of 4,022 in a stadium that can hold 50,000 underscores the missed opportunity to showcase the women’s derby in a vibrant, full atmosphere.

McConnell emphasised that the women’s game cannot afford such exclusions. The visual of a sparsely populated stadium fails to generate the enthusiasm and support that the women’s game is striving for. Moreover, she pointed out that the issue seems to stem from a “political decision” rooted in the men’s game, which has unfortunately spilt over into the women’s side, affecting its independent growth and fan experience.

She said: “I think it looked like amateur hour. It looks embarrassing. You’ve got this huge stadium which seats 50,000 people, TV cameras there, and a crowd of 4,022 and I don’t think we can afford to be sniffy.

“The women’s game is bending over backwards to attract a crowd and grow the game, to bring in young fans, to keep them interested. I think it was an appalling decision to lock away fans for whatever reasons it is. It was poor and I think it looked embarrassing.

“You have these television images of a practically empty stadium with sporadic fans spread across. It doesn’t generate a good atmosphere inside the stadium and I don’t think it’s a good advert for the Scottish women’s game at all.

“The optics of it look dreadful and what it comes down to is a political decision that’s manifested itself in the men’s side of the game and it’s drifted over to the women’s side.”

The news wasn’t received well by those of a green-and-white persuasion. Celtic labelled the move as ‘hugely disappointing’ in an official statement on the club website.

It came as a blow for the team, but they soldiered on and came away with a 1-1 draw in a game that they were unfortunate not to take three points from.

Post-match, Celtic defender Caitlin Hayes spoke out. She posted a few pictures on Instagram, one of those showing a shirt that read a quote from the legendary Jock Stein, ‘Football without the fans is nothing’.

In the post, Hayes went on to criticise the Ibrox club. She attacked them for their neglect of the Women’s game, and how they damaged young girls’ dreams: “Today women’s football was let down”, she said.

“You simply can’t advertise a fixture based upon the opportunity to see representation on a stage, with the false intent to grow the game, when the same opportunity isn’t there for the opposition.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Caitlin Hayes (@caitlinhayes5)

“Take colours away and you’re denying opportunity for young girls, in particular, to see what they can be, if they dream that dream.

“That dream isn’t exclusive to the colours you wear, but inclusive to all.”

Women’s football as a whole was let down on Sunday. Hayes is rightly furious with the way things unfolded, but she and her teammates battled on to ensure they did the supporters who watched along from home proud.

Such news was hugely disheartening for many Hoops supporters who had already purchased tickets and were eager to see their team play. The decision was made after Rangers communicated with authorities and safety concerns were raised.

Celtic have now hit back at the news, releasing a statement just after lunchtime. The club admitted that the decision to refuse access to many fans was ‘hugely disappointing’. The release on the official website read:

“At a time when so many are working so hard to promote and support the women’s game in Scotland, the decision to deny access to so many fans is hugely disappointing, even more so given that there were a number of options available to the home club to allow our fans to safely attend in a stadium of such capacity and given the expected crowd.”

Going forward, Celtic are set to liaise with Rangers to ensure all travelling supporters who purchased tickets will now get rightful refunds. Also, they have decided to show tomorrow’s crucial game in the Sports Bar at Parkhead for all supporters.

The game kicks off at 15:10 and in the SWPL title race, it is pivotal. The Ghirls sit just four points behind their city rivals, and a win would give new boss Elena Sadiku a huge boost.

The team won’t have the physical backing of the Celtic support but on TV screens worldwide, fans will be tuning in and hoping for another Glasgow derby triumph.

The weekend 3-1 win over Hibernian was crucial. Goals from Natasha Flint and Caitlin Hayes ensured the Ghirls came away from Meadowbank with three points.

Indeed, the victory turned out to be hugely pivotal because it ensured Celtic closed the gap on Rangers at the top of the SWPL. The league leaders dropped points against Partick Thistle yesterday.

Ahead of this weekend’s Glasgow derby, the gap between the sides is now just four points. A Celtic win at Ibrox this Sunday would diminish it even more.

The sides met not long ago and despite two Chloe Craig penalties, the Celts lost the game 3-2. This was Sadiku’s first match in charge of the side, and the Swede will be aiming to taste revenge this Sunday and put her side firmly in contention for the title.