The Rose Reilly Pub JoinsThe Football’s Square Mile Alliance

Announcement: Saturday 18th November 2023

We are delighted to announce The Rose Reilly Pub has joined The Football’s Square Mile Alliance, and supports our UNESCO mission to promote and protect the world’s biggest open-air football museum. The Rose Reilly celebrates one of Scotland’s greatest women’s footballers and a true Scotch Professor, who laced up her boots in Scotland, France and Italy, and cemented herself as a legend by winning the pre-cursor to the Women’s World Cup with Italy in 1984.

On this day in 1972, 11 Scots strode onto a frozen Ravenscraig Park in Greenock to create history against England: The World’s first international women’s football match. Among their ranks was Rose Reilly, a young woman who would become an icon for female footballers across Scotland, France, Italy and the world. The Rose Reilly Pub in Govanhill, opened in 2022 with this trailblazer’s name above the door and sits on the site of a special place for the Tartan Army, originally called The Hampden Bar. This site has been a congregation point for pre and post-match discussion as far back as the 1880s, and is one of the 21 sites listed within Football’s Square Mile.

Barry Kirk, Chief of Comms of The Hampden Collection, explains, “We were very excited when we heard about the plans to open a new pub on the site of the ‘Old Hampden’. This watering hole was a much-loved stop-off point by the Tartan Army on the ‘Road To Hampden’, and we were delighted they chose the name of one of Scotland’s trailblazing women’s footballers to hang above the door. Our mission is to celebrate the incredible history of Scotland’s football heritage, including Scotland creating the international fixture in both the Men’s and Women’s game.”

The Rose Reilly is situated on Albert Road, Govanhill, and is in the heart of Football’s Square Mile within a thriving and diverse district of Glasgow’s Southside. In 2023, the new Football’s Square Mile website was launched in partnership with the Scottish Football Association, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life, to promote the Scottish pioneers, ‘aka Scotch Professors’, who created the beautiful game. We are delighted to add The Rose Reilly pub to this growing list of ambassadors, who are supporting The Hampden Collection’s mission to promote Glasgow as ‘The Spiritual Home of World Football’, and we invite all of the 3.5 billion members of the footballing family to come and visit.

Steven Clark, Proprietor of the Rose Reilly, explains, “The Rose Reilly is an old-fashioned community pub in the heart of Football’s Square Mile, named in honour of one of Scottish Football’s true living legends. Whilst reflecting a passion for the history of the local game, the pub also welcomes non-football fans and has become central to social life in the Govanhill area, with a varied range of local and international drinks and a cosy atmosphere.”

“We are delighted to join the Alliance as we have a shared interest in protecting the heritage of the area, be it the fantastic history of Scottish football or the fabled watering holes that have been around for as long as all the Hampden Parks have.”

Professor Fiona Skillen, Glasgow Caledonian University, explains further, “Much of the history of the women’s game in Scotland has been overlooked, or worst still, forgotten. The game has a long history and it’s important that we celebrate its millstone and pioneers. Rose Reilly is one Scotland’s greatest players.”

This is another milestone in our UNESCO journey to promote the history of the Men and Women’s game within the cradle of the world’s most popular sport.

You can find out more about The Rose Reilly, and the other sites within Football’s Square Mile on our website.