Tuesday 24 May 2016 14:20, UK
New Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is hoping to pack out the stadium again and bring Champions League football back to the club.
The former Liverpool and Swansea manager signed a 12-month rolling contract with his boyhood heroes on Monday.
And the 43-year-old is aiming to consolidate Celtic's position as top club in Scotland after replacing Ronny Deila as manager.
Crowds have fallen away at Celtic Park despite the Hoops stretching their sequence of Scottish Premiership titles to five-in-a-row, with some fans unhappy at the style of football on show and a group of shareholders unsatisfied with the lack of progress into Resolution 12, in which Celtic are seeking answers from the SFA over possible lost revenue from UEFA competition in 2011.
But Rodgers believes he will have more chance of fulfilling his aims if he can persuade most of the discontented supporters to return.
"We want to dominate in Scotland and qualify for the Champions League. We will need the fans to do that," the Northern Irishman said.
"This is an incredible football club and the support here is phenomenal. I need to get those stands full again.
"The top tier of the Lisbon Lions stand has been closed or empty and it is my job to get people in here again and inspire the supporters to come back and watch a game of football that inspires and excites them and is about scoring goals and winning.
"Ultimately that is what we want to do and if we can do that then we will be on the right track.
"Here is not just about winning. Celtic is brought up to win in a way football, style, identity and that is something that hopefully we can create here and make the supporters proud of their team."
Rodgers grew up supporting the Hoops from his home in the north of Ireland, and he recalled some memories of following the club's fortunes.
"I have my uncles and cousins here, it was they who started me off on that front," Rodgers said. "It was from early years, listening on the radio.
"The first game I went to was 1984, it was a friendly, Celtic versus Finn Harps over in Ireland, that was my first memory.
"I was 11 years of age and from then I have been in the Celtic family with many relations, brothers, cousins, uncles all throughout the world, huge supporters and it is very much being their life.
"I am very lucky to be able to step out of the stands and onto the sidelines and manage the team."
