Scottish FA considers move from Hampden Park

[ian1964 10,723]

By Alasdair Lamont and Martin Conaghan BBC Scotland

 

The Scottish FA is to look into moving away from Hampden Park.

 

It is one of a number of proposals put forward following the hiring of a consultancy firm by SFA chief executive Stewart Regan.

 

The SFA's lease on Hampden expires in 2020 and that could signal an end to international matches and cup finals at the national stadium.

 

Its board will look at the practicalities of taking such games to other stadiums round the country.

 

The proposals, which are at an early stage, also include exercising an option to renew the lease for a further 20 years or acquiring the freehold from current owners Queen's Park Football Club.

 

BBC Scotland has seen documents circulated to key SFA figures last week.

 

Celtic Park, Pittodrie Stadium, Ibrox Stadium, Easter Road and Murrayfield Stadium are all under consideration as venues for Scotland's home matches and Scottish Cup games.

 

It would also mean the SFA finding offices elsewhere as well as moving the Scottish Football Museum and sports medicine facilities.

 

The SFA has lodged a bid with Uefa to host group matches for Uefa's Euro 2020 competition, which will be staged across multiple European cities.

 

It recently extended the lease to incorporate the Euro 2020 bid.

 

The proposal document assumes there is no desire in the SFA to build an entirely new stadium or refurbish an existing ground.

 

James Watson Consultancy has been engaged to assess the various options ahead of any announcement regarding Euro 2020.

 

BBC Scotland contacted the SFA, who did not wish to comment at this stage.

 

Hampden, which also houses the headquarters of the Scottish Professional Football League, has been temporarily converted to an athletics stadium for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

 

Queen's Park, who play in Scotland's League Two, have been playing their home games at Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie during the conversion work and until the stadium reverts back to a football venue after the summer event.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27774208

[barca72 440]

****s aren`t going to stop until they have it all.

[Super Cooper 0]

Just make Parkhead the new national stadium, that is what they want.

[Gribz 850]

Celtic Park, Pittodrie Stadium, Ibrox Stadium, Easter Road and Murrayfield Stadium are all under consideration as venues for Scotland's home matches and Scottish Cup games

 

So why wasn't common sense used this season! Naming the semi final and final venues in advance.

[Scott7 6,004]

We're on our way to Paradise!

 

Actually Murrayfield makes perfect sense if sensible co-operation with the rugger chappie could be achieved. Can't see it happening, though. The rugby guys would be all right but the SFA?

[calscot 0]

Lawwell setting up signing a 20 year deal with Celtic Park? Wouldn't surprise me these days.

[calscot 0]

Got to say, while never been a great fan of the stadium itself due to perpetual lack of investment meaning it's not the first class stadium our football history deserves, leaving it would be ditching one of the most prestigious histories of any football stadium in the world - by far outshining Wembley which only started holding internationals (except for Scotland) when Hampden on its current (third) site was already about 48 years old.

 

Hampden holds the European record attendance for an international match and world record for a club match plus UEFA competition record and still holds every major European record there is.

 

It also has records such as the first press box as well as first permanent tannoy system.

 

The name has been used (for three sites) since 1873 - almost 50 years before the first Wembley was built.

 

However, I must admit I'm envious of Wales' Millenium stadium, which shows you what you can do when football and rugby get together - and of course when the government actually helps fund something to the tune of £46m.

[compo 7,038]

now you can see why the millions have been spent on the new infrastructure all around their stadium in the east end

[Hildy 0]

Nothing surprises any more.

 

If Scotland left Hampden behind, few would object and plenty in media circles would happily endorse Parkhead as Scotland's new base. A move away from Hampden would finish the place as a major venue and it would eventually be sold off for private development.

 

The revamp of Hampden was dreadful. It is a halfway house between being a modern ground and an old one. It incorporates the worst of both, but as the chances of Ibrox becoming the home for the national team are as likely as Brockville being selected - and it was demolished a few years ago - Hampden must remain as our favoured option.

 

Murrayfield should not be entertained as a venue now or in the future. It is in Edinburgh which is rapidly becoming Scotland's most important, attractive and desirable city. In the future, it will be to Scotland what London is to England.

 

Glasgow must hold on to its position as the home of the national football team and that means Hampden should be its permanent base.

 

Moving to Parkhead should not be an option.

[Super Cooper 0]

As a Murrayfield resident, i would more than welcome the national team here. It's a wonderful stadium.