Glasgow Council leader urges Scottish FA to stay at Hampden

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken's writing to the Scottish FA urging it to stick with Hampden Park as the home for Scotland's cup finals and international games.

In it she says there are cultural, sporting and economic reasons why moving games to the larger venue of Murrayfield in Edinburgh would be wrong.

She says Glasgow 2018 earlier this month proved once again that the city is one of the world's best at hosting sporting events.

We've been given a copy of the letter which reads:

Dear Chair,

Before the Scottish Football Association makes its decision on which venue it will select to host Scotland international and domestic showcase games, I write to you as Leader of Glasgow City Council to put forward why I and the local authority I represent believes Hampden must remain the home of Scottish football.

There are a great many cultural, economic, sporting and historic reasons that make the retention of Hampden as the National Stadium, and the opportunity to build on its reputation as one of Europe’s famous stadiums, the obvious choice for the SFA.

This process reaches its conclusion in the immediate aftermath of yet another hugely successful sporting event hosted by Glasgow. The inaugural European Championships, which we co-hosted with Berlin, attracted more than 500,000 people to attend the fusion of elite and grassroots sport, culture and community engagement that the city has made our hallmark. Once again, Glasgow demonstrated why it is ranked as one of the world’s top five cities for hosting sporting events and number one in the small city category, ahead of competitors such as Melbourne, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

In the wake of the World Cup, it is also worth restating the pride Glasgow takes in its role in the history of the world’s most popular sport, playing host to the first ever international football match. It is fitting that, as it celebrates its 60th birthday, UEFA should select Hampden as a venue for Euro 2020. This promises to be an outstanding festival of football, an incredible experience for fans and wonderful showcase for Glasgow and Scotland.

Our growing track record in hosting events is a central plank in the city’s branding and international marketing. Along with our position as a gateway to Scotland and unparalleled hospitality offer, events have become an increasingly important component in the city’s economic strategy. Hampden plays, and I trust will continue to play, a key role in this success story.

However, we cannot and will not ignore some of the challenges, real or perceived, which Hampden faces. And while it is not in the gift of the City Council to redress all of these, there are ongoing projects, policies and relationships where the aspirations of the City Government have clear synergies with those of Hampden. It is the City Government’s view that these can and will address issues around accessibility, connectivity and fan experience.

Several interventions to better connect Hampden with the rest of the city through walking, cycling and public transport are already underway. The redevelopment of the inner South Side is dovetailing with significant public realm projects. Most notable is the South City Way, which is building safer, more comfortable, faster and more coherent cycle and walking routes from Queen’s Park to the Merchant city. Within two years, the experience for walkers, cyclists and public transport users will be unrecognisable. Coupled with signage and promotion, this will go a considerable way towards delivering the Hampden Stride and improving the experience of walking to and from the stadium.

Hampden is well served by the suburban rail network and by bus routes, with accessibility improved by the M74 extension. However we are aware that there are often capacity issues at major events. The Council is leading a working group to put in place an Event Traffic Plan, which will make travelling by public transport to international games, domestic cup matches and concerts at Hampden markedly better. As part of the working group, we will bring forward proposals on improving the promotion of Hampden as a destination with rail and bus operators.

Furthermore, Glasgow City Council would be sympathetic to any long-term vision for the Hampden Campus which was underpinned by sports development and created opportunities for synergies with our venues, such as Toryglen Regional Football Centre and Holyrood Secondary School, events and participation programmes.

A regular discussion point about Hampden is the capacity to enhance the fan experience, particularly the sight lines at the east and west ends of the stadium. I would disagree with any suggestion that significant investment to fund structural changes to Hampden is the only solution to related spectator criticisms.

One of the most significant developments in fan experience in recent years has been pioneered in Glasgow, with Celtic Park successfully operating a safe standing area for the past two seasons. Interest in whether a similar scheme would appeal to other clubs and fans has not been limited to our other clubs in the city. Indeed there has been correspondence from local authorities and senior clubs from across the UK, seeking more information about how we have facilitated safe standing in the city. Were an application for a standing area at Hampden submitted to Glasgow City Council, providing it met all the relevant safety, stewarding and accessibility criteria, there would be no obvious barriers to the bid being approved by the authority.

Similarly, ‘Fan Zones’ are a growing part of the footballing landscape, a family-focused platform for improving the match-day experience. Were appropriate levels of community engagement to be undertaken, and safety and stewarding plans which satisfied other statutory partners submitted, this again could be something the City Council, as the local licensing authority, could accommodate.

Hampden and the SFA have a key role to play in its community as an anchor tenant. As one of the four local councillors for the Mount Florida and Kings Park areas, community representatives and residents have often raised with me the matter of the quality of that engagement. But the local community have also made clear that they see Hampden as a crucial partner for development in the area. Any decision which resulted in the loss of Hampden’s role as the home for the Scottish national team and major domestic cup games would be devastating for that community and its economy. The SFA have a clear moral responsibility to Mount Florida and Kings Park, built up over decades. To abandon those communities would be devastating, both to them and the wider area. And to do so immediately after the last Euro2020 match would be a tragic irony, creating a historic stain on Scottish football I believe would be impossible to erase.

Fortunately, I also believe that the facts more than speak for themselves in making the case for Hampden to remain the home of Scottish Football.

I trust the SFA will make the correct decision and keep Hampden. I also fully expect that discussions over a change of ownership result in a fair and equitable outcome. Hampden is a stadium of international importance and a centrepiece of Glasgow. It is to be championed and cherished and should retain its position as the home of Scottish football for generations to come.

• Hampden