Words by Douglas Walker, Deadline Press and Picture Agency
CELTIC may be famous for wearing green but when it comes to being environmentally friendly they are infamous according to conservationists.
The club has been criticised by eco-groups after they admitted leaving power sapping screens constantly on at Celtic Park.
The giant monitors are situated behind each goal but rather than only being switched on for matches, they are never switched off.
Now environmental groups have slammed the club for “wasting energy”.
A Celtic spokesman confirmed the screens are left on permanently due to technical reasons but refused to elaborate any further.
He said: “The screens are working perfectly. There are various technical reasons why they remain on.”
Conservationists have been quick to condemn Celtic’s dismissive attitude to the environment.
Stuart Hay, head of research for Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: “This energy wastage will be costing Celtic money and contributing to climate change.
“If other clubs can switch off their big screens then so can Celtic. They might play in green but wasting energy like this is anything but.”
Dr Dan Barlow, acting director of WWF Scotland, added: “We have to do much more to reduce the amount of energy being wasted, so there is a responsibility on the actions of all.
“We would encourage Celtic to overcome the technical issues in order to switch the screens off, as we all have to step up our efforts to reduce the output of energy and carbon dioxide.”
Last night the screens could be seen on from outside the stadium and still showed the 1-0 score line from Celtic’s match with Benfica.
The £1m screens have been troublesome since they were installed and are frequently breaking. The company who installed them has gone bust meaning the club would face a major bill to have any problem sorted.
Celtic Park has been chosen as the venue for the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The club stated they had a number of environmental initiatives in place, including a mobile phone recycling plan, but refused to give any more details.
ENDS
