Fans of Bloemfontein Celtic are among the most passionate in the world, with the cosmopolitan South African Premiership club having a more than a story or two to tell from their 40-year history.

Named after Scotland's Glasgow Celtic, the club with one of the most fanatical fan bases in world football plays in the green and white hooped jerseys made famous by their Scottish namesakes. Portugal's Sporting Lisbon are of course another team famed for their green and white hooped playing kit, with Bloemfontein Celtic this week announcing details of a joint football academy they will soon launch with the Portuguese giants as the benefits of South Africa's hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup starts to spread.

Witnessing a Celtic home game at the club's Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in the Mangaung township area of the Free State province is something to behold for any football fan. The club, however, plays many of its matches against the likes of the country's big three football clubs, Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, in the city centre Free State Stadium, which will play host to the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in June of this year.

The Free State stadium in the heart of the country's legislative capital has been given a mighty impressive facelift, flush with an upgraded western stand which has pushed the stadium capacity up from 38,000 to 46,000 seats and some modern finishing touches to the players' and hospitality areas. "The green seats on the new main stand are visible from a distance, much to the delight of the passionate Bloemfontein Celtic fans," said the Chief Executive Officer of the Mangaung Municipality's 2010 team, George Mohlakoana.

The majority of the work is complete besides the venue operations centre, floodlights and turnstile mechanisms, which are to be completed in February 2009.
George Mohlakoana is happy with the progess thus far.

Celtic players will feel a little like Kaka, Robinho or Ronaldinho as they walk into the newly refurbished Free State Stadium dressing rooms, with its individually partitioned player lockers - a la Milan's San Siro - and see their world class new players' shower area. This of course is after they've jumped off the team bus and walked through the plush new foyer. Yes, the old Free State Stadium's been given a new lease of life, and the Bloemfontein Celtic players and fans will certainly appreciate the improvements.

Football fever in South Africa has also improved the lot of some of the country's major traditional rugby cathedrals with Free State, Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium and Pretoria/Tshwane's Loftus Versfeld stadium also benefitting from the facility upgrade. These improvements are all necessary to ensure that South Africa is ready for the arrival of the likes of Fernando Torres, Xavi, Francesc Fabregas, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso and of course the Brazilian's.

New medical rooms, VIP dining areas and media facilities are also part of the Free State stadium upgrade for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009, during which the stadium will host Brazil against Egypt on 15 June, Spain against Iraq on 17 June and the mouthwatering South Africa-Spain clash on 20 June in the tournament's group stages.

The southern-most FIFA Confederations Cup venue is well on its way to being ready to host world-class football come June 2009.  "The majority of the work is complete besides the venue operations centre, floodlights and turnstile mechanisms, which are to be completed in February 2009," said Mohlakoana.

A new pitch has also been laid at the stadium to conform to the standards Italy and Spain are accustomed to. "The planting of the grass was completed on 19 December 2008. We are well into the growing period and the grass is expected to be fully grown by the end of February 2009," continued Mohlakoana.

The spectator seating is now 100 per cent complete, while the VIP seating is 70 per cent complete and scheduled to be finished by February.