Fivemore yearsfor Hampden

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The council prizes its sporting, social, cultural and economic worth to the country’s biggest city and don’t want to see the famous Mount Florida site abandoned too hastily for venues around Scotland.

They will present a proposal to the SFA board next week asking them to consider an extension to their lease with Queen’s Park until 2025 to give a working party made up of council officials, Hampden Park Limited, Queen’s Park and football leaders time to explore all alternatives.

The council’s plans are unlikely to find favour with the city’s two biggest clubs as Celtic and Rangers are both keen to host future internationals and major cup contests, with Edinburgh and Aberdeen also in line for fixtures if the SFA walk away from the historic site.

Glasgow Council leader Susan Aitken said they believed “Hampden should remain the home of the Scottish national team”.

She added: “We accept there are a number of challenges. However, it would be to Glasgow’s economic, cultural and reputational detriment were Hampden no longer the National Stadium.

“Ahead of its meeting on Tuesday, we have made the SFA Board aware that we are prepared to commit to a football-led working group seeking to retain Hampden Park as a key sporting asset in the city.”

Record Sport revealed last year Hampden’s future was in the balance after it was hit by a whopping rates rise and increased criticism over its suitability as a major venue. It will host three games, including a quarter-final at the new-look Euro 2020, but what’s next remains shrouded in doubt.

The SRU have pitched Murrayfield but Glasgow council bosses want to retain it as a jewel in the city’s sporting crown and explore ways to make it more user friendly and profitable. The SFA declined to comment.