Hampden Park to remain the home of Scottish soccer

GLASGOW: Hampden Park’s uncertain future as the home of football in Scotland has been settled after Queen’s Park agreed to sell the iconic stadium to the Scottish FA.

The SFA had considered moving Scotland internationals and the Scottish Cup final and semi-finals from Glasgow’s historic Hampden to Murrayfield in Edinburgh.Murrayfield, with a larger 67,000-capacity, plays host to Scotland’s national rugby team and the Scottish Rugby Union had made an offer in a bid to entice the SFA to make the move. The SFA’s lease on 51,000-capacity Hampden was due to expire in 2020, but League Two club Queen’s Park, who own the venue, have agreed a A£5 million ($6.4 million) sale that will allow Scottish football’s governing body to take control in two years.

“Ownership of Hampden Park will enable the Scottish FA to control the future of the stadium. It will open up opportunities to continue to develop the infrastructure and create a national stadium that will inspire the next generation of football fans,” an SFA statement confirmed.

The SFA confirmed that Glasgow businessman Lord Willie Haughey, a former Celtic director, had pledged half of the purchase cost.