Three Days To Go On The Most Important Consultation in Football History
- FSM Blogger
- Mar 17
- 3 min read
Tuesday 17th March
On Thursday 19th March 2026, the public consultation on the proposed designation of the site of the 1st Hampden Pavilion, situated within Kingsley Rose Gardens, will close. Historic Environment Scotland want to seek your views on whether this piece of ground, containing the remains of the 1st Hampden foundations, should be made a national scheduled monument.
We encourage everyone to positively support this consultation. Here are 3 reasons why.
The site of the 1st Hampden Pavilion was lost to history for 134 years (1883 to 2017). The boolers of Hampden Bowling Club kept this story alive until the railway map, and subsequent archaeology, proved the exact location of where the 1st Hampden pavilion once stood. This designation will protect the Rose Gardens from development and keep it safe for the community.
On 27th March 2026, 121 years to the day since Hampden Bowling Club was opened in 1905, the club will hand back the keys to the landlord. After providing a social service to the community and city, they have lived a parallel universe protecting the 1st Hampden site from development. A positive outcome will ensure this legacy is protected within the Rose Gardens and maintain this story into the decades and centuries to come.
The 1st Hampden Park was the world's first, enclosed, purpose-built football stadium. The entire footballing global community should beat a path to this origin point for the way we play, the way we taught, and the way we watch the beautiful game.
So please take 5 minutes to capture your thoughts on why this is important.
Finally, and for reference, here is the Football's Square Mile consultation response for the two key questions.
Q6) To what extent do you agree with our proposal to designate?
Strongly agree
Please expand your answer.:
The proposal to designate the remains of the world's first purposefully built international football ground is a significant moment in our cultural understanding of Scotland's leading role in the development of the world's biggest social phenomenon, aka football. It will also secure this legacy for future generations to enjoy it, protect it from development, and create a rich historical starting point for the discovery of the 3 Hampden Parks.
This starting point is the only place in the world where you can trace the development of national and international football in less than one mile. Without the 1st Hampden this story becomes fragmented, lost, and once again the nation would lose the site of its first national football stadium. Furthermore, the fundamental role that Scotland's oldest association football club played in the development of the game cannot be overstated, and Queen's Park Football Club's vision in 1873 to create this ground is a seismic moment in the development of football as a spectator sport.
Scotland lost this site for over a century (between 1883 and 2017) and has taken 11 years of work by Hampden Bowling Club and The Football's Square Mile to tell all those who would listen about the importance of this site. A nationally recognised scheduled monument is the best outcome for all involved and should be strongly supported locally, nationally and internationally.
Over 5 billion football fans, who watch or play football, can trace their roots back
to this hallowed site.
Q7) Do you have any further information or comments on our assessment?
Yes
If 'Yes', please explain. :
We would like to thank HES for taking the time to review the application and for their diligence throughout the process of investigating the site.
Furthermore, Archaeology Scotland played a key role in this process with their excavation project in 2021 in conjunction with Hampden Bowling Club and The Hampden Collection (Part of Football's Square Mile). It's an exemplary example of working together to create something unique for the nation to be proud of, and these projects should continue to be funded to review other incredible football heritage sites across the nation.
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