In 1903 Glasgows Mount Florida region was home to the largest stadium on the planet. A capacity in excess of 100,000 would regularly flood through Hampdens gates. Years later, in 1937, Scotland vs England would host 149,547 official attendees with reports suggesting the actual number was nearer 180,000. It wasn’t only international games that drew massive crowds. The 1937 Scottish Cup Final between Aberdeen and Celtic was attended by 147,365 with a further 20,000 locked outside the Hampden gates. A record that will forever stand as the highest attended football game in Europe.
Modern Era
May 20, 1989 was the last time fans stood on Hampdens slopes. The Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers was a narrow 1-0 win for Celtic in front of 72,069 spectators. This was the final big game in Scotland before the onset of stadium modernisation which greatly reduced capacities within football stadiums. – The final chapter in the history of Scottish terraces was written.
Well before 1990 it became clear that Hampdens standards were falling short. Then owners Queens Park could not afford to fund any of the renovations works and Glasgow City council weren’t interested in getting involved. Queens park considered selling the stadium but were saved by a public appeal and minor repair works. The 1980 riot which saw the ban of alcohol in Scottish football prompted a massive redevelopment at the stadium.
After 2 phases of the redevelopment were complete, the annual Scotland vs England fixture was cancelled in 1989 – sparking questions as to the requirement for Hampden. Rangers proposed Ibrox as an alternative for the National team and Murrayfield in Edinburgh was also suggested, neither of which appealed to the SFA board who felt the national team should have its own stadium. The West terracing was converted to seating in 1991 but with 2 sections of terracing still available, Hampden was disqualified for hosting and World Cup Qualification matches.
In 1992 a grant of £3.5m was given and a £12m project to revamp Hampden to an all seater was under way. As the capacity grew, the old South stand was limited to 4,500 and the total capacity to 37,000 – Celtic, who were also getting Celtic park renovated, decided to ground share with Queens park at a cost of £500,000. The final renovation stages began in 1997 with a National Lottery funding of nearly £60m. There was a cost overrun and a fraud squad were called to investigate alleged financial irregularities. The new South stand was complete and opened for the 1999 Scottish Cup final. A new Hampden with a capacity of 51,866 – Queens Park owners and an SFA holding lease until 2020.
A chance missed
In 2013 Hampden was transformed into a modern athletics stadium for the 2014 Commonwealth games. Queens Park played their games at Airdies Excelsior Stadium while the works and events took place. This work rose questions about a possible renovation if the ground was to be converted back for football purposes. The distance from the East and West stands to the pitch is difficult to go unnoticed and doesn’t lend itself to the great atmosphere that can be created. The stadiums front 8 rows were removed which lowered the capacity to 44,000. These works were exactly what would have been required to try and close the gap between the stands and the pitch, but the decision was made Hampden would be converted back to its original state after the 2014 games.
In 2008, German side VfB Stuttgart decided to transfrom their “bowl” stadium into a purpose build football stadium. Lowering the pitch by 1.5 meters and developing the stands and roof to accommodate more rowed seating. The project did not impact the football side as work was undertaken during the off season. In just over 3 years the stadium was completely transformed. If we are forced to keep Hampden, this should be stuck on the wall as an aim to get too.
The Options
So what options do the SFA have? The first is to copy the above. Architects say around £90m should get a similar look out of Hampden as Stuttgart got from their gaff. No brainer if we are destined to stay in Mount Florida for the rest of time.
I much prefer the second option. get rid of Hamdpen, start moving the game around the country. Attendances haven’t been brimming for a number of years and the involvement of youth is slowly dwindling away.
Kids in and Dingwall should have just as much chance to see Scotland play as those kids from Cathcart. Admittedly Palmerston Park may be a bit small, but you can’t argue the San Marino game coming on Sunday wouldn’t look better in a packed 9,000 seater rather than sub 15,000 crowd in an empty Hampden.
With the obvious exception of Celtic Park and Ibrox, both of which provide a much better ‘footballing experience’ the Scotland team needs to get back in touch with the fans. Get the squad playing competitive games in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and if we ever get a worthy pitch back – Killie. Easter Road, Rugby Park, Tyncastle and Tannadice are all exactly the kinds of venues we should be looking to take on San Marino, Gibraltar, Lichtenstein and other of the “smaller” nations. We need to get football out and appealing to the younger generation, confused by an empty stadium when round the corner they have one perfectly suitable to the numbers scattered around the “national stadium”.
Cheers!
Post Match Pints 