BOYD BACKS SCOTLAND MOVE TO MURRAYFIELD
FORMER Scotland striker Kris Boyd believes the SFA would be ‘silly’ to overlook Murrayfield as a home for major international matches — even if it means ditching ‘dated’ Hampden. Scottish Rugby have proposed the largest stadium in the country as an ideal venue for major Scotland football games and cup finals, actively pitching for business ahead of the SFA’s lease on Hampden expiring in 2020. With the new Oriam national performance centre — the future official training base for all Scotland teams — just minutes away, Murrayfield is seen by many as a convenient answer to Hampden’s persistent problems. And, while smaller crowds may be lost in the 67,000 capacity arena, Boyd insists that the combination of overall size and a £1.25million hybrid playing surface make the Edinburgh stadium impossible to ignore. The veteran striker, who scored for Kilmarnock in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Hearts, the Tynecastle club’s final ‘home’ fixture at Murrayfield, said: ‘It would be wonderful to see the national team through here, if that is the case going forward. ‘It is an unbelievable stadium — the biggest in Scotland. You want to attract and give the fans the best match experience — and you definitely get that at Murrayfield. ‘The quality of its surface is second to none. For us, it was a bit of a false environment in terms of the atmosphere because it was not full for our game. ‘But if the national team was to come through here… and last week (Hearts v Rangers), I was led to believe it was a fantastic atmosphere as well. ‘When they are full, big stadiums give off something else.’ Hampden’s deficiencies have long been a subject of debate among supporters and, now, decision-makers at the SFA. Nevertheless, Boyd admits that it would be tough to break the emotional attachment to a stadium that has been the stage for so many defining moments in the history of Scottish football. ‘Hampden has a lot of history,’ he added. ‘But it’s starting to get a bit dated. Do we want to lose the national team playing in Glasgow? No, you don’t. ‘But we have a fantastic facility through here and we would be silly not to use it. Hampden will always be iconic, so they might have a decision to make.’