First Hampden could be added to list of nationally important sites

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has launched a public consultation on its proposal to designate the archaeological remains of the pavilion at the site of the first Hampden as a scheduled monument. Hampden was the first purpose-built football ground in Scotland and one of the earliest to be built anywhere in the world. 

Situated in what is now a small public park in Glasgow’s southside, the site served as the ground of Queen’s Park FC, Scotland’s oldest football club and one which played a pivotal role in the development of the game. The first match was played at the ground on 25 October 1873, a Scottish Cup tie which saw Queen’s romp to a 7-0 victory against Dumbreck. The site hosted Scottish Cup Finals - including the first final of the competition in 1874 - and became the home of the national side in 1878, providing the venue for a famous 5-1 victory against England in 1882. 

The earliest developments at First Hampden saw many features recognisable for football fans today, including the enclosure of the ground using fencing, pay gates to control spectator access and separation of the pitch and crowd, at this time with a rope surrounding the pitch. This enclosure and separation of the ground defined this as the first purpose-built football ground in Scotland. A ‘grandstand’, which would now be known as terracing, was added along the south side of the pitch in 1876. 

One of the last developments was the installation of the pavilion in 1878, which the club bought from the Caledonian Cricket Club and reconstructed at the site. The new pavilion was a focal point of the ground, set near the entrance and providing matchday facilities for players and guests. When the land was purchased for railway developments in 1883, the pavilion moved with the club to their ground at Second Hampden, sited on what is now Cathkin Park, also recently designated as a scheduled monument by HES. The foundations remained at First Hampden. Archaeologists confirmed the location of the pavilion at the site of the First Hampden using ground penetrating radar in 2021, and subsequently discovered evidence of physical remains.  

Dara Parsons, Head of Designations at HES, said:

As anticipation builds for Scotland’s first men’s World Cup finals in nearly 30 years, it is timely to turn our attention to where the Scottish game first began. 

“The remains of the pavilion at the First Hampden are a link to the earliest days of football in Scotland, and its importance to and impact on communities. It is a monument to our national game and to the origins of the modern football stadium. 

We would encourage anyone with views on the site’s significance, or any information that may help inform our final decision, to review our report and take part in our consultation".

The consultation will be open for submissions until 19 March. 

About Scheduled Monuments 

Historic Environment Scotland maintains a schedule (list) of monuments of national importance. Scheduling is the process of adding monuments to this list.  

Scheduling began in 1882, when the first Ancient Monuments Act was passed, and is an ongoing process. We assess and reassess monuments as our knowledge and understanding of what survives and its importance changes. 

A dedicated team researches and assesses all designation applications. Scheduling is carried out under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Find out more about scheduling. 

About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)  

For further information, please contact:

Claire Mullaney
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
07721 959 962
communications@hes.scot