Announcement – Saturday 30th December 2023
Once a year, on this day, we reflect on the year gone by. A year where so many things have happened. A year of The Hampden Collection Squad working away telling Scotland’s footballing story in a way which continues to surprise, enchant and demonstrate the importance of Scotland’s role in the development of the world’s most important and beautiful people’s game. This is also a day to remind folks why we are here and what has happened so far.
The Hampden Collection has powered on to what we have today –
A core team of 10 volunteers, with a huge array of talents including poets, historians, tour guides, artists, and our wonderful Professor, celebrating the history of both the men’s and women’s game.
The original footprint of 3 Hampden Parks has expanded into the Football’s Square Mile, which was finalised this year – 21 sites to promote and celebrate with an ultimate mission of protecting them through seeking UNESCO World Heritage status.
The Football’s Square Mile Alliance of 18 organisations, including the Scottish Football Association, and the key decision makers in the City – namely Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life, as well as other amazing organisations who have supported us along the way.
This year, our second of #Fitba150, has been full of memories. In true Hampden Collection style, here are the 21 moments of 2023 in no particular order from the team. These exhibit the underlying ethos of what we do – turn heads, make friends, invest our considerable talents into a cause we all love, and have a lot of fun along the way.
No. 1 – Callum Beattie and our own Barry Kirk swapping shirts after a singsong in Hampden Bowling Club. Callum didn’t have an Anniversary Top; so that was rectified in true footballing style with Barry swapping his one. We are supporting Callum’s bid to make his version of ‘Caledonia’ the Scotland’s Euros anthem in 2024.
No. 2 – Members of The Hampden Collection Team were invited to the SFA President’s Lounge for the 150th Anniversary game of Scotland v England. Here is a picture of Richard Young and Alistair Bleach (President of Clydesdale Cricket Club), where cricket was recognised as part of the 1872 story – Cricket + Football = 1872. We rubbed shoulders with legends that evening including Alex McLeish, Joe Jordan and even one Rod Stewart.
No. 3 – On 25th October 2023, we held a gathering at Hampden Bowling Club to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of Hampden Park. Graeme Brown and Barry Kirk went on a mission to get the ultimate photo on the Bowling Green and recorded this wonderful ‘then and now’ image.
No. 4 – We launched the first ever cricket and football walking tour in Glasgow aka As The Willow Vanishes on 9th July with the fabulous Lindsay Hamilton of Glasgow Football Tour; marking the 156th anniversary of Queen’s Park Football Club. Before their meeting, the Queen’s Parkers were visited by James Lillywhite, a professional cricketer of Clydesdale Cricket Club, to give them a set of the Rules of the Field (aka association rules).
No. 5 – On 6th September 2023, the Scottish Football Association, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life made an announcement joining the Football’s Square Mile Alliance and supporting our UNESCO Mission.
No. 6 – On 29th June we hosted an evening of top academics with a 3 Hampden Walking Tour and presentation within Hampden Bowling Club, explaining the World’s biggest open-air football museum and our UNESCO mission. A big thank you to Jack McGill for getting one of his film crews to film the event – top drawer stuff from QTV.
https://twitter.com/kaseysymons/status/1674556917866274817?s=20
Then we witnessed a fascinating 3 person panel at FootyCon about the history of women’s football, with poetry to boot, from Professor Fiona Skillen, Dr Karen Fraser and Julie McNeill. Their promotion of the women’s game is pushing the boundaries and changing perspectives.
https://twitter.com/FootyCon/status/1676634468835098632?s=20
No. 7 – On 6th September we launched our new Football’s Square Mile website containing 21 sites and setting the foundations for 2024 and beyond. The Football’s Square Mile logo is the brainchild of our Creative Director, Ashley Rawson. You can visit the site here - this is a work of art with contributions from across the team to bring you this fabulous resource to allow you to explore FSM for free – https://www.footballssquaremile.com
No. 8 – The world’s most IMPORTANT football club is NOT who you think? – Sam North’s video interviewing Graeme Brown, Keith McAlister (QP legend) and a bunch of QP Fans, which has now been viewed 40,000 times. Some belting comments in here including the famous line……”They would have been bigger than Real Madrid………..”
No. 9 – Continuing the research of 3 Eglinton Terrace, unearthing maps, reviewing images, and challenging theories to gather more research of QP’s first meeting place. Siggy, David, Mel and Graeme spending countless hours researching online and in the Mitchell Library. There should be no fear putting forward theories – the clue was in the newspaper article. The word ‘may’ is very important. In 2024, we present the information (singposting to all available research) – to an independent body to complete the designation process.
No. 10 – On the morning of the Scotland v England anniversary game, Richard Young and Graeme Brown were live on Sky Sports News. This four minuter explained the links with Cricket and Football Clubs at the dawn of the association game.
No. 12 – On 23rd September, The Hampden Collection celebrated the 175th birthday of Clydesdale Cricket Club, one of our Football’s Square Mile Alliance partners, by taking a table at their anniversary dinner. Our Poet-In-Chief, Julie McNeill gave them a poem to remember entitled – ‘Clydesdale’.
The Clydesdale 175 anniversary ‘Hive’ special is here celebrating this amazing Glasgow sporting institution, and of course Julie’s fabulous poem – Clydesale 175 – Hive Magazine
No. 13 – On Saturday 25th March, The Hampden Collection attended the official opening of the Rose Reilly Pub and gifting a framed poem for their wall from our Poetry Collection by Thomas Clark. The Rose Reilly became a member of the Football’s Square Mile Alliance on 18th November.
No. 14 - Later on the same day, we were delighted to be some of the flag bearers of the TIFO display in front of the West Stand of the 3rd Hampden at Scotland v Cyprus. An incredible honour in front of the Tartan Army.
No. 15 – On Saturday 11th November, The Hampden Collection Team attended the annual East Kilbride Cricket Club dinner, celebrating the power of a club in the 21st century, and a poem from our Poet In Chief to match.
No. 16 – On 17th September, The Hampden Collection attended the West of Scotland Cricket Club fundraiser and were invited to the top table with Colin Mair, Dougie Donnelly and Alex McLeish. An amazing honour and a hugely successful evening for West as they continue to raise awareness for their campaign to restore their pavilion.
No. 17 – On 2nd June, Richard Young received confirmation that the FIFA Museum had received the copy of ‘As The Willow Vanishes’, which explains the story of how cricket and football collided to form the beautiful game. Siggy’s book is now part of the FIFA Museum Library, as well as being held in the British Library and the Melbourne Cricket Club Library.
No. 18 – On 15th December, the Association of Tartan Army Club’s t-shirt for Scotland’s player of the year raised £600 for Hampden Bowling Club’s #Restore1stHampden. Another amazing contribution from the Tartan Army supporting the mission to restore its first home.
No. 19 – In 2023, we held 23 walking tours led by Glasgow Football Tour’s Lindsay Hamilton, with 237 guests. With 20 x 3 Hampden Walking Tours, the inaugural As The Willow Vanishes Tour, and 2 x Subcrawls (the latest tour explaining the birth of international football). In true Lindsay patter – ‘That #3 is everywhere’!
No. 20 – Off The Ball, a staple of the Scottish Footballing weekly calendar. Both Julie McNeill and Lindsay Hamilton appeared on the show during the year and promoted the fabulous work they do celebrating the beautiful game.
No. 21 – The Hampden Collection Christmas night out with the best team, which now has a squad of 10 pushing our wee mission. One team definitely has one dream.
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