Football’s Square Mile Partners 5th Hampden Museum To Create New Football Heritage Awards

Announcement - Wednesday 1st April 2026

The Fifth Hampden is the world’s smallest football museum, and today, Football’s Square Mile, the world’s largest open-air football museum, are delighted to announce a new partnership to create the Football Heritage Awards.

This brings together two powerhouses of the footballing heritage community, which celebrate how modern football was shaped in Scotland. Here, the passing game was born, transforming football into the team sport the world loves today. The Football Heritage Awards celebrate those who keep this legacy alive —honouring the past, inspiring the future.

The 5th Hampden Museum Team explains, "Football’s story is not just one of goals and glory—it is one of ideas. And some of the most powerful ideas in the history of the game were born in Scotland. Here, the game was transformed from chaos to craft. From individual brilliance to collective intelligence. The passing game, now the heartbeat of football worldwide, was shaped on Scottish soil. Our new Football Heritage awards honour those who spend countless hours researching this amazing heritage and showcase it to the world."

Within Football’s Square Mile, across 21 historic sites, the revolution lives on. The Football’s Square Mile Team said, “Football’s Square Mile stitches together the places in Glasgow Southside, where the great footballing innovators and trailblazers created the passion for the modern game, and crafted its identity we know today. This one square mile is the cradle of the modern game, and we are delighted to team up with the 5th Hampden Museum team to create a glittering showcase for the heritage community."

Football's Square Mile - The World's Biggest Open-Air Football Museum

We are delighted to announce the following awards, which are now open for submission:

• Football Historian of the Year

• Best Theory of the Development of the Modern Game

• Outstanding Community Engagement

• Best International Project

• ‘Overwhelmingly Inept’ - Incorrect History Prize

We are looking for top talent from across the football heritage community who celebrate this story by engaging with their communities, sharing their ideas, and creating a positive environment for the growth of the football heritage sector. We have built a new webpage submission site here -

https://fifthhampden.my.canva.site/5th-hampden-football-heritage-awards

We cannot wait to read your submissions. The submission deadline is Saturday, 23rd May 2026, which is Football’s Square Mile Day, with the Awards Ceremony planned after Scotland wins the World Cup this summer.

We want submissions from those working in the heritage community who inspire us and draw on our footballing heritage for fun and enjoyment.

Kind Regards,

The Fifth Hampden Museum and Football’s Square Mile Teams