Who will save the original Hampden, birthplace of modern football?
Of the three different Hampdens, Scotland has plenty of reasons to celebrate the first
It saw the first-ever hat-trick in international football (scored by a Scotsman!). It was the UK’s first enclosed stadium with turnstiles and hosted the first Scottish Cup final in 1874.
Yet the site of the original Hampden stadium, the first of three, is at risk of being lost forever. Admittedly, its footballing days are long gone. Since 1905, it’s been used by Hampden Bowling Club. With the club due to be wound up in February, there are fears a developer may wish to build houses or some such.
However the National Trust for Scotland, which described Hampden One as the place where “modern football as we know it was created”, has given its backing to efforts by the two heritage bodies to find a fitting use for the site.
Meanwhile, Hampden Three has just announced a “multi-million-pound, long-term partnership” deal to become “Barclays Hampden”. Might the original’s woes be a chance for the financial giant to become an even bigger hero to Scottish football fans? Or for a cheeky rival to pinch a bit of the limelight ahead of the World Cup?
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