The museum also houses the oldest national football trophy, The Scottish Cup, crafted in 1873. Despite the sorry state of Scotland’s national team, it is a country whose history is steeped in the game, having played the first-ever international game against England in 1872. The game took place in the West of Scotland Cricket Ground in Partick and rather frustratingly ended in a 0-0 draw. Although we have failed to qualify for a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup, the passion for football runs deep, and the legion of fans, the Tartan Army, follow their team around the globe, bringing with them their pride and good humour (which they often need after ninety minutes of play). It is because of this passion, pride and heritage that the Scottish Football Museum exists. 

Although the museum has been in existence as an exhibition since 1994, it only moved into its permanent Hampden Park home in 2001. As well as the fourteen different galleries that will take you through the ages of football, the museum often holds special exhibitions. There is also the option to take a tour around Hampden Park, which holds the European attendance record for an international match; 149,415 people watched Scotland trounce England 3-1 in the 1937 British Home Championship game. As a result of security measures, Hampden’s capacity was cut almost in half from 150,000 to 81,000 in 1977. It currently has a capacity of 52,063, nearly a third of what it was at its peak.