Celtic to play 40th game back at the refurbished Petrus Molemela Stadium

Bloemfontein Celtic mark their 40th game on Wednesday back at the refurbished Petrus Molemela Stadium in Rocklands and are hoping that they are beginning now to turn the venue back into the ‘slaughter house’ it used to be when it was still known as the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium.

Celtic host Polokwane City in their postponed Absa Premiership match which was held back after the death in a car accident of City defender Mogau Tshehla.

Extensive refurbishments‚ which went on much longer than planned‚ were completed in mid-2015 and saw Celtic go back to the township after years of exile in the city centre at the Free State Stadium and also further afield in Botshabelo.

Celtic had a tough start at the venue‚ losing on the opening night in October 2015 to Anthony Laffor’s only goal for Mamelodi Sundowns followed by defeat a fortnight later in their second game at the stadium against Mpumalanga Black Aces‚ which led to the sacking of Clinton Larsen.

Celtic won just once in their first nine matches at the stadium and did not seem to settle in last season either where they found scoring a near ‘mission impossible’.

But the last six months have seen a marked improvement with just one loss in their last 10 home games. That was to Orlando Pirates in late November.

There will now be a feeling that the club are beginning to turn the venue into something of a fortress although overall the figures are paltry.

Their 39 previous matches at the Molemela Stadium have seen 10 wins‚14 losses and 15 draws.