THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL Association is considering leaving the historic Glasgow ground Hampden Park, chief executive Stewart Regan has said.
Glasgow is also home to Celtic’s Parkhead and Rangers’ Ibrox but the sectarian feeling surrounding the Old Firm duo means that Hampden has been the preferred “neutral” venue for cup finals and Scotland international matches.
Hampden has hosted Scotland matches since 1906. The ground holds the European record for attendance at a club game, set in 1937 when more than 147,000, the vast majority standing on huge terraces, crammed in to see the Scottish Cup Final. Twice in the late 1930s crowds officially just under the old safety limit of 150,000, watched Scotland play England. Today, regulations are more stringent and the capacity is 52,000. Both Celtic Park and Murrayfield can hold more than 60,000.
The SFA are tenants at Hampden, which is owned by Scottish League One club Queen’s Park, and the current lease expires in 2020.
The SFA have a renewal option to remain at Hampden but Regan told the BBC on Friday: “We’re exploring the plusses and minuses of going.”
Regan said it would cost the SFA “many, many millions of pounds” to stay at Hampden. He said playing more matches at Murrayfield, the Edinburgh home of the Scottish Rugby Union, and the other two big Glasgow football grounds, were possibilities.
“The go option will involve exploring Celtic Park and Ibrox, both fantastic stadia where we’ve played matches in recent times against the Republic or Ireland and Georgia, and of course Murrayfield, where we’ve seen Hearts hosting their home matches in recent times,” Regan said.
“Those are the three stadia capable of holding qualifiers because we have had an average attendance of over 31,000 for our qualifiers over the last 10 years, so those are the only stadia capable of satisfying that type of demand,” added Regan, an English sports administrator who was previously chief executive of county cricket club Yorkshire.
Three group-stage matches and one round-of-16 match at the Euro 2020 finals will be held at Hampden. Those could prove to be the last internationals played at the stadium.
“We know it will cost many, many millions of pounds to stay for another term of a lease similar to what we have now and we need to know that we can afford to stay if that’s the option the board goes down,” Regan said.
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Why are clubs raising prices when they are making a fortune on TV money?
In fairness to Mingolet, he showed solidarity with supporters and downed tools on the 77th minute aswell.
To make more money Ron. They will have no doubt done analysis that they will still sell at higher prices. Simple supply and demand and they don’t give a shit that they are pricing life long fans out of it. The tripe being served up on the pitch is doing more damage to the business than ticket prices ever will.
@cathal, what did he do now?
I think Mignolet downed tools a long time ago! Sakho was shocking for the 2nd goal. Firmino continues to improve, the one good thing to come out of another shambles at the back.
Businesses that peruse a policy of profit maximisation often get burned in the end(think Eircom and cable link). The worst thing is that the fans actually add to the TV product so the clubs should be subsidizing. Plus this TV money might not be around forever, they need to keep the fans in side not give them the two fingers.
The ticket prices for Munster rugby is keeping fans away. Instead of protesting they just don’t buy the tickets. Can only push prices so high before the “fans/consumer” pushes back.
Protest is meaningless. They know there will be people pay it anyway. Even if that means keeping the real fans out. They don’t care. It’s the premiership, greediest league in the world.
The premier league with just end up with a bunch of millionaire prawn sandwich fans(cough…..Arsenal).
Fans are becoming irrelevant. The money clubs earn from ticket sales or merchandise pales in comparison with the money earned from TV money.
More money obviously.
People will fly from around the world to watch Liverpool can’t say the same for Munster.
Well it’s been going that way for quite a while now Ron. It’s why the premier league was created. More money more money.
Fans create atmosphere, buy tv packages, merchandise, no fans = doomsday
The premier league will end up like the italian league with half empty stadiums if they price the real fans out. Look at Ac milan one of the biggest names in world football and they are going to build a 45000 seater stadium to move into when they leave the san siro
Charge fans more, pay prima donna kids and these agents more money…… It should not be just Liverpool fans boycotting… All clubs should do same, it affects all… Hard to do at grounds though where it is different fans every week……
I can’t believe Ron Koeman is commenting on the Journal.ie whilst currently in the dugout
Not Newcastle United, no one wan’t poxy wonga shirts :(
What a sorry state for English football. Working people priced out of the game they love
Stephen, that’s what I can’t understand. Support your own. Why support a foreign team ? Baffling to me. But, there is people travel from all over the world to watch not only Munster but Leinster, Connacht , Ulster, their county hurling and and football teams, their league of Ireland clubs. Difference is they have ties with those teams.
So you’re against Irish fans going to see foreign teams yet you are not against Irish players going to play for foreign teams?
It’s a players profession.
the more and more football I watch the less and less im interested lately. money has ruined the game.
Bit of a generalisation there Ron as you won’t find many prawn sandwiches in the north bank. The owners at Liverpool are fully aware that Liverpool are one of the best supported teams in the world and as a result demand always exceeds supply. The owners are out to make the most they can from the brand and in fairness they are not the worst. Or would you rather have Hicks and Gillette back?
There’s plenty football available where it’s not like that. German and Argentinian football is where it’s at for many, and technically the Spanish game is unreal. Pass and move and not a pinball machine aka the EPL!
Class comment Cathal…I like you
Is there a point to your very unoriginal comment? Its great that fans organized this… At yours, they tried, but all the fans at the last game said they would not be back for 2-3 years anyway.
Great to see the pool keeper left as well
Looks like the players left with them
Fair play, Pool fans. When life-long supporters can”t afford to bring their kids to games, there’s a big problem.
In 30 years of supporting Liverpool I dont think I have ever seen a worse first choice keeper.
Brad Friedel was atrocious during his Liverpool stint.
Tough call with so many to choose from.
Friedel, James, Westerveld, Mignolet etc
Grobbelaar…
Couldnt agree more Paul. He is costing points now on a regular basis.
Friedal was brilliant when he left Liverpool, had a great career.
What about Calamity James?
Friedel was great after Liverpool. He was the bench warmer for James and then Westerveld though.
Or team Paul.
dudek had his moments
Friedel was great after Liverpool. He was still terrible at Liverpool.
The IFFHS list of best goalkeepers of the 20th century rank him at 40. PFA team of the season one year also. Top shot stopper & always a gent when he didn’t play. David James was the worst L’Pool keeper’ by a long cross.. Sorry shot
He should up the tickets to £90, at least they’ll hold on to fans for the full match.
I wish the Irish had the same guts towards the Government as you people in Liverpool. Fair dues to you and i hope you win against those greedy b.,tards.
Both player prices and wages have ruined football
No wait don’t go !!!! Flopp’s on his way in an ambulance to celebrate the draw with the fans
Cost them the match, distracted players and stadium went quiet cause of this.
It’s the fans fault they drew ? That’s a good excuse. Surely it is because they are only an average side is the reason ?
Highlights value of fans? Raising tickets to make 2million more in revenue. Maybe buy one less 15million forward and reduce ticket prices. £77 is crazy for a football match. £40 is too much in my mind.
Anto, thats the best excuse I’ve heard in life since, “the dog ate me homework.”
Fans from other clubs should do the same.
Crap protest. Complain about the price of tickets, buy tickets, go to match, leave 3/4 of the way through after paying the increased ticket price ??
Mad suggestion….why not bother buying the tickets in the first place ?? Morons.
The increases do not kick in until next season. Moron
Eh, season tickets are paid for either way so showing up and leaving is the only way for them
Read the 3rd paragraph. Even without this new increase they believe they are paying exorbitant prices already yet still go along to leave .
Surely the best protest is to stay away !!
Dave, Im sorry but that is a stupid comment. Firstly was it only season ticket holders protesting? Secondly 10,000 empty seats before the match is a better protest than going and leaving like that during the match.
Swathes of fans leaving early is a very visual protest and brings attention to the protest.
I think it looks stupid and I’m sure the players appreciate their support. But thats my opinion, I understand your view but not sure it’s the right way. Not sure either way is right.
So you’re saying it’s stupid to suggest that a protest organised by Liverpool based LFC supporters clubs would consist of season ticket holders?
Also, fact of life for you, everybody thinks the price they are paying now for most things is too high. But when that price goes up again that’s the issue.
Couldn’t agree more, difference is that if it gets too high for me I won’t go.
So it was only season ticket holders ? No one else sees it as a problem?
Never said it was only season ticket holders but I know there were a lot of them and also a lot of disabled people left as their tickets are set to go up by 21%. Season ticket holders are being moved to cheaper seats for the same price while their old sears will be sold at £77 a game.
It’s a €104 for a season ticket for bayern Munich one of the biggest clubs in the world with world class players but they refuse to rip their fans off unlike the english clubs which will end up with half empty stadium’s cause people won’t hav the money,sad state of affairs
Bayern subsidise away champions league tickets to their fans because of the crazy English prices.
Mainly at Arsenal
Absolutely not a Liverpool fan but totally support this.
There’s always an “appendix” to the Liverpool story :-)
I’m sure you know what you are slobbering about, pity nobody else does
Never liked Liverpool fc but there supporters are the best of the best no surprise that. They walked if you say it do it
What a crowd of stupid morons
what for leaving or attending? Simon.
Yes…
This is why I love the people and the city of Liverpool
No way to treat the best fans in the world and yes it had a huge bearing on the match like as if the life blood was draining from a team that had 100% possession. As for Minolet how he has achieved an other 5 year contract beats me.
Everyone thinks their own fans are the best in the world
I’m a United fan and I don’t mean this as a dig bur I know many former Liverpool “fans” that have given up on them. The ones that are still there love that club and yes are some of the beat fans in the world. Now I need to wash myself with a scouring pad
And would many man u fans have deserted them considering they play like stoke and they are the second best team in Manchester?
No doubt there are a few but I fail Sotomayor see what this has to do with me complimenting Liverpool fans
*to wow, I think my phone is Spanish
British football is all about business.
Manchester United PLC and other businesses are only in it to make money.
If 22 grown men kicking a ball around a field is your thing then join a local team or setup your own.
#SupportYourLocalTeam
#gofukyourself…..
Mo money mo problems