Scottish Football Museum facts for kids
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Hampden Park, seat of the museum
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | Hampden Park, Glasgow |
| Collections | Association football memorabilia |
The Scottish Football Museum is Scotland’s national museum for association football. It is located inside Hampden Park in Glasgow.
The museum first opened in 1994. It was originally in a small part of Glasgow’s Museum of Transport. In 2001, the museum moved to its current home at Hampden Park.
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Discover the Museum
The museum has more than 2,000 amazing football items. You can see the world's oldest football cap here. There is also the match ticket from the very first official international game in 1872.
You can also find the world's oldest national trophy, the Scottish Cup. This famous cup was made in 1873. Even though the FA Cup competition started earlier, its first trophy was lost.
The Championship of the World Trophy
In 1888, a special match took place. Renton from Dunbartonshire, who held the Scottish Cup, played against West Bromwich Albion. West Bromwich Albion were the FA Cup winners.
This game was called the 'Championship of the United Kingdom and the World'. Renton won the match 4–1, even though the weather was very bad. You can see the trophy from this historic game at the museum.
Explore Hampden Park
The Scottish Football Museum offers a fun and informative tour of Hampden Park. This tour lets visitors feel like real football players on a match day.
You can visit the underground road where team buses arrive. You can also see the team changing rooms and the managers' dugouts. Imagine walking down the tunnel and hearing the roar of the Hampden crowd!
What You Can Do on the Tour
Visitors can explore 14 different display galleries with 2,500 exhibits. You even get the chance to score a goal from the Hampden penalty spot!
You can also see the Scottish Hall of Fame. This area celebrates famous Scottish football players. Plus, you can climb the stairs to the cup presentation area in Hampden's stands.
Special Collections
The museum has many interesting collections about Scottish football history.
Kilmarnock Football Club
There is a large collection of items from Kilmarnock Football Club. You can see a picture from August 26, 1899. This picture shows the opening of Rugby Park, Kilmarnock's home ground. It includes players from Kilmarnock and Celtic who played in the first match there.
You can also see medals and trophies from that time. A Kilmarnock shirt from 1929 is on display. It was worn by Mattha Smith, whose grandson, Gordon Smith, later became a chief executive for the Scottish Football Association. Another shirt from the 1960s, worn by the famous Kilmarnock player Frank Beattie, is also there.
The World of Football
This exhibition shows how football has grown around the world. It starts from its early days with the 1872 Scotland v England football match. It also highlights Scotland's important role in the beginning of football history.
Frank Boyle's Cartoons
From October 2009 to March 2011, the museum hosted an exhibition of drawings by Frank Boyle. He is a famous cartoonist for the Edinburgh Evening News. He won Cartoonist of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards in 2003 and 2006.
Many of his cartoons were about the two main football clubs in Edinburgh, Hearts and Hibs. He also drew about other clubs and the national team. These fun drawings were a big part of the exhibition.
Rutherglen Ladies Football Club
In 2021, the museum had an exhibition to celebrate the Rutherglen Ladies F.C. team. This exhibition marked 100 years since this leading Scottish women's team was formed.
Scottish Football Hall of Fame
The Scottish Football Hall of Fame celebrates players, managers, and officials. These people have made a big difference to Scotland's football reputation.
In 2019, there were over 110 football players in the Hall of Fame. Every year, fans and people from within football suggest new members. Then, a final decision is made on who gets added to the list.
