Cathkin Park celebrates historic victory

Iconic football ground is designated as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland.

Article Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Last Updated: 25 September 2025 10:20

Image: Third Lanark v Hibs at Cathkin Park in August 1964 - Jim Scott scores for Hibs © The Scotsman Publications Ltd

Now the ground at Cathkin Park has sealed its place in Scottish football history as it is recognised with scheduled monument status by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

Cathkin Park is significant as a rare example of a late 19th-early 20th century football stadium, with its surviving terracing and embankments. It is one of a few early football stadia to survive that have not undergone major modernisation. The site can help us to understand how the modern football game developed in Scotland. It serves as a physical reminder of a time, before modern crowd safety measures, when tens of thousands of supporters would have stood in packed out terraces across the country.

Situated in Glasgow’s southside, now a public park owned by Glasgow City Council, the site was first used as a football ground by Queen’s Park in 1883-4. It was initially known as Hampden Park, named after the original Hampden (now the site of Hampden Bowling Club). As Hampden, the site was the venue for Scottish Cup finals between 1885 and 1899.

When Queen’s Park’s success saw them set their sights on a new ground (the third and current Hampden) in 1903, the site then became the home of Third Lanark, who alongside Queen’s Park were one of the eight founding member clubs of the Scottish Football Association (SFA). An entirely new stadium was built on the site in 1904, which was then renamed New Cathkin Park. The club continued to play at Cathkin until their demise in 1967, a 3-3 draw with Queen of the South the last senior football game to be played at the site.

Dara Parsons, Head of Designations at HES, said: “Scotland is recognised as a pioneering nation in the development of football, and Cathkin Park played a key part in that story. We’re pleased to be able to acknowledge that history by designating the site as a scheduled monument to ensure its significance can be protected and celebrated.”

The designation of the football ground at Cathkin Park comes as HES is inviting people all across Scotland to take part in a national conversation about heritage, encouraging them to share their perspective to help shape how it is recognised and looked after in the future.

Dara continued: “Heritage is everything we inherit from the past that shapes who we are today, and Scotland has a rich footballing history that is culturally significant across communities today.

“We’d love to hear more about what sites like Cathkin Park mean to people and their communities, and would encourage people to get involved by taking our Talking About Heritage survey.”

Ged O’Brien, Founder of the Scottish Football Museum, has expressed his pleasure at the designation of Cathkin: “It is hard to understate the importance of this stadium. Two founders of modern world football played on this site. It exists as a crucial example of the way in which Scotland developed the concept of the early modern football stadium.

“Cathkin Park is a living monument to Scotland’s influence on many stadiums around the world.”

The Talking About Heritage survey is open until 7 December and can be accessed via the HES website, alongside other ways to get involved in the project.

For more information about the designation of the football ground at Cathkin Park, visit the HES website.

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