Football executive Charlie Methven has questioned why Celtic have not redeveloped the Main Stand at Celtic Park despite the club’s strong financial position over recent years.

Methven, who previously held senior roles at Sunderland and Charlton Athletic, was discussing Celtic’s infrastructure and long-term planning during an appearance with A Celtic State of Mind and The Celtic Exchange.

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Methven said:

“It’s a matter of absolute astonishment to me that the main stand hasn’t been sorted out in the time that I’ve been coming to Celtic Park.”

He pointed towards the substantial cash reserves Celtic have held at different stages over the last decade.

“This is a time when there have been times in the last 10 years and Celtic’s had a hundred million pounds cash in the bank.”

Methven added:

“Other clubs are having to borrow everything to do this. Celtic have almost had enough cash in the bank to do it just out of cash, barely borrowing anything.”

The comments are particularly interesting when placed alongside Celtic’s latest annual accounts.

The club reported cash of £66.385million at June 30, 2026, despite a year in which overall revenue fell following the move from Champions League to Europa League football.

Methven’s argument was not simply that Celtic should spend their existing cash reserves on construction.

He believes Celtic’s financial position should make borrowing for an infrastructure project considerably easier than it would be for clubs already operating at substantial losses.

“If any club would be allowed to borrow, it would be Celtic because Celtic is cash generative and profitable,” he said.

His view is that an improved stadium could become an investment capable of generating additional income rather than simply representing a major one-off expense.

Methven also questioned whether Celtic are making enough use of the wider Celtic Park site outside matchdays.

Stadium operations generated £7.801m during 2025/26, down from £10.461m the previous year.

There has been no announcement from Celtic suggesting a major Main Stand redevelopment is imminent.

Methven’s comments therefore raise a wider question around how the club intends to develop Celtic Park and increase revenue away from the pitch as it looks to compete with clubs operating in larger European markets.