Murrayfield can swell the SFA coffers where Hampden can’t
CHIEF operating officer Dominic McKay believes Scottish Rugby’s proposal to host future football matches for the SFA stands apart from all rival bids because of the sheer amount of revenue BT Murrayfield can generate.
SFA chiefs are weighing up their options with the lease on Hampden Park set to run out in 2020 and sent a delegation to yesterday’s match between Hearts and Rangers to shadow the in-house staff and judge the stadium’s suitability for football events.
The SRU were invited to apply to host future fixtures and McKay insists the 67,000 capacity coupled with the space on the back pitches for Fan Zones and sponsors’ events means they can deliver something more lucrative than the likes of Ibrox and Celtic Park.
‘The SFA put an expression of interest to any interested parties. Ourselves and I think Celtic and Rangers have shown a bit of interest, along with Hampden themselves,’ said McKay.
‘What we have said is that we believe, by having a large stadium, that it offers an opportunity for the SFA to generate more money, perhaps, than ever before to reinvest back into the grassroots of football. I think that is something which perhaps sets our bid apart from others.
‘We think it is a really perfect stage in some respects to host any events that the Scottish FA maybe want to move. There are three things that generate revenue for us on a match day — ticket sales, sponsorship and our broadcasting.
‘On any given day, you can drive all three of those pretty hard. There are some special things we can do here with our broadcasting partners and special things you can do on a match day because of the size and space with sponsors, whether that is Guinness villages or activities around the stadium.
‘Because we have 67,000 seats, you can drive a good attendance and mix that with good-quality experiences. What we love about Murrayfield is that you have a great seat pretty much anywhere in the house.
‘You are pretty close to the pitch and that seems to resonate with a lot of sports supporters.
‘We think we’ve got a pretty special stadium, a super Desso pitch and a great space to host events on match days. We have supporters coming in two hours before kick-off and maybe spending an hour after full-time having a beer or socialising.
‘We’ve responded to an invitation from our friends at the SFA to offer Murrayfield as a home for Scottish internationals, cup finals and semis if their discussions with Queen’s Park go a certain direction on their lease for Hampden.
‘We’ve spent a fair bit of money in and around the stadium in the past few years making sure the supporters have a great experience, outwith just the 80 or 90 minutes, because they’re shelling out hard-earned cash.’
McKay expects to be given an update from SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and his team in December, when a decision on the future of Hampden is likely to be taken.
‘It is up to the Scottish FA,’ said McKay. ‘I think they are hoping to work through the first stages in early December and they will get into a bit more detail in the New Year. ‘Part of the reason I was keen to bring the Hearts games here with Ann Budge (Hearts owner) was to use this as a backdrop to show we have a pretty cool venue and believe we can do special things when we have football games here.
‘There is an interest from the SFA, I think, to look outside just to see what their other options might be. That is why we have put our best foot forward.’
Regan has expressed a desire to see the national football team use the Oriam facility at Heriot-Watt University for big-match preparation in future and Murrayfield would, of course, provide a nearby venue in the city of Edinburgh.
‘We are really proud to use Oriam for the national rugby team and were pleased to partner the SFA during that whole process,’ said McKay. ‘It works for us and I’m sure it would continue to work for the SFA as they wish to use it.’
One regular criticism of Hampden is the transportation routes there, but McKay insists that is not an issue at Murrayfield with a tram service now complementing rail, bus and road.
‘We’re fortunate we’ve got great transport links,’ he said. ‘It’s something our colleagues from Europe often comment on when we host Ireland, France or Wales.
‘It’s so easy to get into the stadium by train, by tram or car. It’s a big thing for us that we’re close to the city and it’s accessible by all forms of transport.’