CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB’S home ground at Parkhead could be set to stage next season’s Guinness Pro14 final as organisers seek to spread the appeal of the competition.
It’s expected that Celtic Park might be confirmed as the venue for next year’s decider in the coming weeks, amid reports that the Pro14 final could also be staged in South Africa in the next few seasons.
Sources in South Africa say that Pro14 organisers have suggested to SARU officials — whose permission would be required to stage the match there — that they are keen to look at bringing their showpiece there, with Cape Town the likely venue if that happens.
But with the final having not yet taken place in either Wales or Italy, bringing it to South Africa might still be some way off.
Eight finals have taken place since the play-off system was introduced in 2009-10 and seven of them have taken place in Ireland, with another one due later this month when the Aviva Stadium stages it for the second year in a row.
The venue was selected for the opening five seasons of the play-off system based on the highest seeded team, with the RDS hosting it four times and Thomond Park staging it once.
In 2014-15, a venue was selected in advance for the first time, with Kingspan Stadium in Belfast being awarded the final, while a year later Connacht and Leinster headed to Murrayfield in Edinburgh for the only final to take place outside Ireland since the introduction of the current system.
But that looks set to change next year with the 60,000-capacity Celtic Park poised to host the event in a season where both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals will also be staged at a football stadium, when St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United FC, will be the venue this time next year.
By then, Celtic will be hoping to celebrate an eighth Scottish Premier League title in a row before their stadium hosts the Pro14 showdown.
Would be a unique venue for the final. If Leinster were to get there I’m not sure how the locals would react to a lot of Irish people in blue jerseys.
Taking it to a new venue to spread appeal is an admirable objective, but there is a danger of an embarrassingly low crowd, the more so if there isn’t at least one of the teams from the host country
@Kevin Ryan: Leinster v Connacht in Murreyfield did well. It more about selling the event than who will be there. After all people buy champs cup final tickets without knowing who will be there. Its a pity that only Ireland and Scotland have ever put in a bid for it. Dont think the Welsh or Italians can complain if SA hold the final before them when they have never put in a bid to host it.
@Kingshu: I guess I am less bullish than yourself about the attractiveness of the Pro 14 final as an event. 34k was a good crowd for the Connacht Leinster final, but I didn’t go myself. How many of the crowd did you think were there for the event, as opposed to being fans of the finalists?
@Kevin Ryan: I was there. At least 90% where Leinster or Connacht fans.
@Kevin Ryan: Most finals tickets so far have been bought up by the finalists fans but the aim of the Pro 14 is to change that to more of an event. Im not saying its happened yet but that is the aim. Its partiality why the Welsh havent bid, they worry about its success in Wales if a Welsh team doesnt make it. I liked the old way but i can see the as better as it sets a place and date to prevent last minute scrambles. (Expect when they have it calsh with champs league doh)