A museum that combines celebrating the beautiful game’s heritage with tackling dementia, says Polly Foreman
Where The Scottish Football Museum is part of the national team’s home venue, Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow. Its location is integral to the experience: The Scottish Football Association (FA) is based in Glasgow, as are Queens Park – the pioneers of the Scottish game. Scotland’s two largest clubs, Rangers and Celtic, also have their stadiums in the city. The first official international football match played under Association rules, between England and Scotland in 1872, took place in Glasgow.
What The museum seeks to explore the heritage of the country that “gave football to the world”. It aims to reflect “the position enjoyed by the sport in Scottish popular culture and of Glasgow’s place as the historic hub in Scotland for the Association game”, says Richard McBrearty, a curator at the museum.
Opened The Hampden Park site opened in 2001 during the build-up to the Scottish Cup final, but it had existed in temporary spaces since 1994. Collection Museum acquisitions and public donations make up the several-thousand-strong collection of football-associated items. Iconic objects from Scottish football are complemented by lesser known or rare items that have been recognised as nationally significant by the Recognition Scheme, which is administered by Museums Galleries Scotland.
Highlights The museum’s trophy collection includes the Scottish Cup, the oldest trophy in the world for Association football; the Glasgow Charity Cup, the oldest charity football trophy in the world; and the Airdrie Schools Cup, the oldest schools football trophy in the world. McBrearty also points to a match ticket and Scotland shirt badge from that first official international football match between England and Scotland in 1872.
Help at hand Staff include a full-time curator, a full-time collections assistant and an office manager.
Budget Most revenue comes from visitor admissions and shop income. The Scottish FA also supports the museum.
Sticky moment “The inaugural year at Hampden Park was a difficult one,” says McBrearty. “The guidance on visitor projections was too ambitious and revenue fell short of predictions. But increased financial support from the Scottish FA, our principal funder, helped us through that difficult period.”
Visitors 35,000-40,000 a year. Survival tip “Working in partnerships is important,” says McBrearty. The collection is being used in an online scheme called Football Memories. The project, in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, has enabled the museum to create a website featuring 5,500 items from the collections, which are used to stimulate recall in those with dementia.
Future plans “The continued expansion of Football Memories is a priority over the next five years,” says McBrearty.
www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk
Where The Scottish Football Museum is part of the national team’s home venue, Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow. Its location is integral to the experience: The Scottish Football Association (FA) is based in Glasgow, as are Queens Park – the pioneers of the Scottish game. Scotland’s two largest clubs, Rangers and Celtic, also have their stadiums in the city. The first official international football match played under Association rules, between England and Scotland in 1872, took place in Glasgow.
What The museum seeks to explore the heritage of the country that “gave football to the world”. It aims to reflect “the position enjoyed by the sport in Scottish popular culture and of Glasgow’s place as the historic hub in Scotland for the Association game”, says Richard McBrearty, a curator at the museum.
Opened The Hampden Park site opened in 2001 during the build-up to the Scottish Cup final, but it had existed in temporary spaces since 1994. Collection Museum acquisitions and public donations make up the several-thousand-strong collection of football-associated items. Iconic objects from Scottish football are complemented by lesser known or rare items that have been recognised as nationally significant by the Recognition Scheme, which is administered by Museums Galleries Scotland.
Highlights The museum’s trophy collection includes the Scottish Cup, the oldest trophy in the world for Association football; the Glasgow Charity Cup, the oldest charity football trophy in the world; and the Airdrie Schools Cup, the oldest schools football trophy in the world. McBrearty also points to a match ticket and Scotland shirt badge from that first official international football match between England and Scotland in 1872.
Help at hand Staff include a full-time curator, a full-time collections assistant and an office manager.
Budget Most revenue comes from visitor admissions and shop income. The Scottish FA also supports the museum.
Sticky moment “The inaugural year at Hampden Park was a difficult one,” says McBrearty. “The guidance on visitor projections was too ambitious and revenue fell short of predictions. But increased financial support from the Scottish FA, our principal funder, helped us through that difficult period.”
Visitors 35,000-40,000 a year. Survival tip “Working in partnerships is important,” says McBrearty. The collection is being used in an online scheme called Football Memories. The project, in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, has enabled the museum to create a website featuring 5,500 items from the collections, which are used to stimulate recall in those with dementia.
Future plans “The continued expansion of Football Memories is a priority over the next five years,” says McBrearty.
www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk