Celtic are 16th most watched club in new research

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Celtic have been ranked 16th for attendances after new research results were released yesterday.

The CIES Football Observatory analysed 51 national leagues in 42 different countries. The figures are average attendances over the course of 2013-2018.

Celtic come 16th, ahead of Glasgow rivals Rangers in 18th. The Hoops have apparently managed an average attendance of 49,697 during the period. Rangers, on the other hand, came up just short with 49,054.

Incredibly, Celtic also account for 36.5% of the league’s total attendance. Rangers have just 27.4%.

Ahead of Celtic are the likes of Ajax, Benfica, Borussia Monchengladbach and Atlanta United. The usual riches of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich all enjoy top spots in the list too. But it’s Borussia Dortmund who top it, with a stunning average attendance of 80,230 over the last five years.

The Brendan Rodgers era has helped

It’s impressive figures from the Hoops, however. Despite having to endure the ultimately disappointing Ronny Deila years, the fans came roaring back under Brendan Rodgers.

For many European matches, Celtic closed the top tier of the Lisbon Lions stand under Deila. This was due to a lack of fan interest. But that soon changed under Rodgers, and attendances came roaring back to normal.

This list, of course, will surely take into account season-ticket holders. As everyone knows, not all season-ticket holders attend every match, but it’s a good barometer of how well Celtic are doing in ticket sales regardless.

Throughout the period in which this research started, Celtic would’ve raked home at least 11 trophies. Neil Lennon managed the Premiership in 2014, whilst Deila took home two Premierships and a League Cup during his two-year stint in Glasgow.

Rodgers’ haul of seven, however, remains the standout achievement. It’s just a shame it will always be soured by his move to Leicester City earlier on this season.

Regardless, these are healthy stats for Celtic. It’s only likely to increase further the closer we get to 10-in-a-row too. Here’s hoping the team can continue to do us justice on the pitch.