Derry City set for historic Celtic Park clash against Shamrock Rovers with up to 8,000 expected

​The Brandyell outfit will play its next FIVE home matches at its 'adopted home' just 400 yards from its traditional base at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium while work is completed on its new £1.4 million state-of-the-art hybrid pitch.

Celtic Park has its origins in the early 20th century as a soccer ground until it was officially purchased by the GAA on September, 28th 1943 to ensure a permanent home for Gaelic Games in the city.

Preparations continue to ensure the 12,500 capacity stadium is ready to host its first League of Ireland fixture this Friday night which will be screened live on Virgin Media Two and Derry City's Commercial Manager Robert Martin it will be fit for the special occasion.

"There are going to be five historic games at Celtic Park," said Mr Martin on this week's Talking Derry City podcast. "A lot of behind-the-scenes preparations are underway as we get ready for a new era at the Brandywell with a new grass pitch, hopefully ready by the end of June.

"In the meantime, Co. Derry GAA has been good enough to allow us to use Celtic Park for these games. That relationship has been crucial.

"Whenever the opportunity came along to use Celtic Park we spoke with them and they were more than happy to accommodate us. The FAI was happy we did it because we didn't really have any other options.

"Our options might have been to play our home games in Sligo or Dundalk. You could imagine the upheaval that would've been for supporters.

"So Celtic Park is the perfect fit for us and we started working on it as soon as we got clearance to go for it.

"Just the way the fixtures fell, the first game next Friday night happens to be against Shamrock Rovers so you couldn't ask for a bigger event on a bigger stage to start off with."

The pitch's condition was a concern due to the number of fixtures played on it during the past couple of months coupled with the inclement weather but Mr Martin is confident the surface will be ready to host the match.

"We've been doing a lot of work over the last two months to get it ready. There's been a lot of work done on the pitch. There was a big Ulster Championship game on Saturday and there will be some training and more pitch work over the coming week.

"The people who have been doing the new pitch at the Brandywell have been using their own expertise and machinery to improve the pitch in Celtic Park and they've done a lot of prepwork over the last couple of weeks.

"The pitch is still being used and we're coming out of a long, wet winter. It wasn't in good condition for soccer, but there have been amazing improvements in the last day or two.

"Our guys will go in and have it in good nick. They will have the field lined out and the goalposts in place for our game on Friday, ensuring it will be in the best possible condition for a football game.

"There have been many changes around the ground from a branding, advertising and sponsorship point of view. The game is selected for live TV on Friday which adds another bit of pressure but we're confident in the people we have around us that we will get the place ready and it will look well for Friday night. It will be a really big occasion for the club."

Derry City will trial a Fanzone at the Lone Moor Road and Stanley's Walk corner of the ground, featuring an O'Neills Sports pop-up merchandise shop, a beer truck, and an area for hot drinks and food to enhance the occasion.

The club will also introduce family tickets for the first time, reduced pricing for adult terrace tickets at £10 and £5 concessionary and children tickets for the terracing area.

"Hopefully if this all goes well and we're sure it will, it might be something we could introduce at the Brandywell down the road. "That has to be our aim: to improve the experience for supporters. “We've been talking about it for a few years but space limits what we can do at the Brandywell. Celtic Park has given us this perfect opportunity to try it and see how it goes."

Following a safety advisory meeting with the Council and emergency services Derry is confident of accommodating a bumper crowd and Mr Martin says he 'wouldn't be surprised' if up to 8,000 people attend the game.

"We soft-launched the tickets while waiting for the safety advisory meeting. Tickets are on sale online and at other outlets now, continuing right up to kick-off. I'm really anticipating a huge crowd.

"There's interest coming from far and wide. From GAA, other sports, and other businesses. We're not looking at 3,000 or 4,000 Derry City supporters here; we're talking about adding another couple of thousand people who want to see the historic occasion. It will be a great event."

It's the perfect opportunity to showcase the club and the League of Ireland.

"It's about the club, about Shamrock Rovers, the FAI and the GAA and all the stakeholders. It's a big opportunity for everyone to promote their brand and name. I wouldn't be surprised if the attendance was up at 7,000 or 8,000.

"The hype around it will build, it will get more people involved, and have a knock-on effect around schools, similar to the cup final. The fact we've made it more accessible for people to come in with the ticket pricing will attract even more supporters.

"We had our SAG [Safety Advisory Group] meeting during the week where we sit with Council, police, fire and all the emergency services and our safety company OGMA and lay out all the plans and contingency plans for safety and security.

"Council will then come back and give us a capacity. Currently the stadium has a 12,500 persons capacity for GAA. We expect that to reduce a bit as we will have segregation for our games. So we're expecting a big demand on tickets. We will be happy enough with what we will have from a capacity point of view.

"Our only slight restriction is that the stadium has 3,200 seats so because of the number of our season ticket holders, guests and sponsors we will be reserving that complete stand for them.

"There will be a lot of outside interest in the game from different clubs and different codes and different media so we're happy we can accommodate everyone on that side of the ground.

"That leaves us with uncovered terracing in the rest of the stadium. We're going to use the Bluebell Gardens terrace on the opposite side to the grandstand.

"There's a capacity there of almost 7,000 people. So we will have enough space to accommodate a large contingent of away supporters, which we will be expecting to come from Shamrock Rovers.

"We will have a good buffer, segregation area and the loads of room for general sale or our own supporters, any neutrals or GAA supporters who might want to come along out of interest."

Disabled parking will also be available inside the ground. Parking will also be available at St Cecilia's College in Bligh's Lane, College Field and Brandywell Stadium.

"We're asking people to come along early and park responsibility. Respect our hosts and neighbours and try to keep the event as peaceful and smooth as possible.

"We don't want emergency services having to negotiate blocked streets and roads.

"We are anticipating a large Shamrock Rovers contingent too. We will have their buses in the college Field and will advice them in their entries and exits and providing their hot food and drinks and toilet facilities so away fans will be looked after perfectly.

"Tickets are available now online and in the usual outlets all week. Just talk to stewards when entering ground to find out where to go or where to stand and we would appeal for our terrace supporters to enter via Stanley's Walk.

"There's a bank of turnstiles on Standley's Walk that take you up steps into the main terracing."

Derry will also play a further four matches at the stadium against Galway United, Bohemians, St Pat's and Shelbourne and Mr Martin expects them to attract big attendances.

"After Shamrock Rovers we have a Bank Holiday Monday game against Galway which will be a 5pm kick-off.

"After that we will have a double header with St Pat's and Shelbourne at the end of May which will be fairly tricky and then we will finish of with Bohs. All of those clubs will bring a fairly big contingent of supporters. So we will have big attendances at these five games, I'm fairly confident.

"It's important we get everything right and get the message out there to home and away supporters beforehand."