Story
The story of Hampden Park
From its opening on 31 October 1903 until 1950, Hampden Park was the largest stadium in the world. It is the national stadium of Scottish football and home of the Scotland team, and it still holds all the attendance records in European football. The name goes back to a terrace named after the Englishman John Hampden, which overlooked the first ground of Queen's Park, the oldest club in Scottish football; this is actually the third Hampden.
In 1937, 149,415 people watched Scotland play England here, still the European record for an international match, and at least 20,000 more got in without tickets. In 1960 the European Cup final between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt drew 127,621, the highest attendance ever recorded for a European Cup final. Not every day was calm: in 1909, when a Scottish Cup Final replay also ended in a draw, fans who expected extra time rioted, and the trophy was withheld.
In 2014 the stadium hosted the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
This story is compiled from Wikipedia and other open sources; dates and numbers are checked against the source. The text is shared under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence. Source ↗
Hear this story on the spot, in a natural voice
On Sightlore, the story of Hampden Park is narrated in a natural voice in 5 languages. When you arrive, say "I'm here" and get your passport stamp.
80 more stories from Glasgow in the app
More highlights in Glasgow
- University of GlasgowRead its story →
- Glasgow CathedralGlasgow Cathedral is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland.
- People's PalaceThe People's Palace and Winter Gardens in Glasgow, Scotland, is a museum and glasshouse situated in Glasgow Green, and was opened on 22 January 1898 by The 5th Earl of Rosebery.
- Tron TheatreThe Tron Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. The theatre was formerly known as the Tron Kirk. It began as the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and St.
- Glasgow CrossGlasgow Cross is at the hub of the ancient royal burgh and now city of Glasgow, Scotland, close to its first crossing over the River Clyde.
- Glasgow School of ArtThe Glasgow School of Art is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and design.
- Nelson MonumentThe Nelson Monument located within Glasgow Green (a historic public park in Glasgow, Scotland) is a commemorative obelisk built in honour of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, who had died at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. Funds of £2,075 were raised by subscription,…