What next for Hampden?
Now Hampden has been saved it must be improved to give football fans something to shout about
THE SFA decision to retain Hampden for the biggest games in Scottish football has been welcomed by those who backed the campaign to save the stadium.
Businesses, politicians and the current owners of the stadium all said it was the right choice, and now the SFA has to make the stadium one that fans the length and breadth of Scotland can be proud of.
Glasgow City Council had been involved in discussions with Hampden Park Limited, who had put forward plans for improvements.
Council leader Susan Aitken also said if plans for a fan zone – with the necessary community engagement – would be welcomed and considered.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said he would seek talks with Ms Aitken on possible collaboration on improvements – and the council chief said she’s ready to listen.
Ms Aitken said: “The SFA are now Hampden’s custodians and I trust that, working in partnership with the public and private sector and the local community, they can build and deliver that vision.
“Now that the decision has been made, we need to have a proper discussion in our community and within the game about a vision for our national stadium for the next decade, and the decade after that, indeed the next 150 years.”
Ms Aitken added: “No-one is arguing Hampden is perfect, and valid criticisms have been made around issues of accessibility and fan experience. But these are far from insurmountable and Glasgow City Council is ready and willing to work with the SFA and other partners to address these.
“What I want to talk about now is how Hampden really can build on its potential as a city asset, a national asset, and a catalyst for change that it has the capacity to be.”
Hampden Park Limited, who will cease to be the stadium owners in 2020, had put forward plans with architects Keppie to redesign the stadium to make to better for fans.
A spokesman for HPL said: “We are delighted that Hampden Park will remain the Home of Scottish Football after an extensive bid process led by the Board of the Scottish FA.
“We received significant backing from supporters, players and managers past and present, the media, the Glasgow business community and figures from across Scottish society – again we thank them all for their important letters and gestures of support.
“Significant investment is already being committed to prepare the stadium for UEFA EURO 2020 and this decision gives us the opportunity to build on that to ensure Hampden Park is a national
‘‘ Glasgow City Council is ready and willing to work with the SFA and other partners
stadium which future generations can be proud of.”
Mr Maxwell said the HPL and Keppie plans would be part of the SFA’s consideration for how to improve Hampden.
He said: “They have done a lot of work giving a flavour of what could be achieved.”
The MP for Glasgow South, which includes Hampden, said the deal between the SFA and Queen’s Park must work for everyone.
Stewart McDonald, SNP MP for Glasgow South, said: “We must now ensure this agreement benefits all parties involved and the local community, has the ambition to better our city’s sporting reputation even more, improves fan experience and secures a thriving future for Scotland’s most historic club, Queen’s Park.
“It is therefore imperative the SFA work closely with all involved to ensure both Queen’s Park and Hampden Park itself can look forward to the next chapter in footballing history.”
The SFA said Queen’s Park would now have money to develop Lesser Hampden.
Mr Maxwell said the club will own the smaller stadium outright and it will be their registered ground.
Business leaders warned of the devastating consequences if the decision went against Hampden with millions of pounds lost to the city.
Stuart Patrick, chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the SFA’s decision. He said: “This is marvellous news for Glasgow and the west of Scotland.
“I am in no doubt that the Scottish FA has made the right decision for the future of Scottish football.
“There will be countless businesses, bars, cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area whose prosperity and jobs depend on Hampden’s presence who will be celebrating today.”
BRINGING the 2030 World Cup to Scotland as part of a joint bid with the other Home Nations will help secure the substantial funding needed to redevelop Hampden, according to SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell.
The SFA announced yesterday they have agreed to buy the Glasgow stadium from current owners Queen’s Park for £5 million
when their current lease expires after the Euro 2020 finals.
The governing body needed the offer of £2.5 million from Lord Haughey in the past month in order to reach an agreement.
Maxwell, who hailed the decision as “monumental” for the game in this country, admitted the SFA will now look to attract further public and private investment and redevelop the Mount Florida venue.
The SFA will hold talks with their counterparts in England, Northern Ireland and Wales this autumn to discuss the feasibility of bringing the 2030 World Cup to the four countries.
He believes that doing so would enable them to entice the 10s of millions of pounds it will need to address supporters’ concerns – including bringing the East Stand and the West Stand closer to the pitch.
“I don’t think that would be a bad place to start,” said Maxwell. “If we can go and bring a Word Cup here, what does that mean to the country? How can we leverage that? That would be a massive opportunity for us.
“We had a very brief discussion when we were all over in Russia for a FIFA congress and the plan is to meet up in the short term and see exactly where those conversations can lead to. It will be before Christmas.
“It would be great for a football guy to be involved in bidding for a World Cup. Having watched the Moroccan bid and dealt with them it was a really interesting process. I think if there was a Home Nations bid then that would be a strong proposition.”
Maxwell admitted that stadium sponsorship was another possibility the SFA will explore now they have finally reached agreement with Queen’s Park.
“There are opportunities in that area,” he said. “It is a challenging market. Tottenham are struggling to find someone to find a naming right sponsor for their stadium. We already have the William Hill South Stand. But we now have we have to look at every other part of the stadium and how we can maximise revenue. We would be daft not to.”
Asked if anybody other than Lord Haughey was prepared to invest in Hampden, Maxwell said: “There has been no-one else. It’s up to us to go and try to find them now.
“It is a challenge. It is one we need to face into and see where we get to. We should not be scared of it. We have never been in that space where we give it too much consideration.”