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TENNENT'S PULL OFF GREAT SAVE AT RIGHTFUL HOME OF WORLD FITBA


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TENNENT'S PULL OFF GREAT SAVE AT RIGHTFUL HOME OF WORLD FOOTBALL

Scotland’s favourite beer helps secure future of the beautiful game’s forgotten historic past

It’s the unsung home of world football - a small bowling club on the southside of Glasgow.

Now, the unofficial birthplace of the beautiful game has scored the first goal to secure its future and preserve its legacy - thanks to Scotland’s best-loved pint.

A ‘Tennent’s Red’ plaque has also been unveiled at the site of Scotland’s first home of football; a site believed by leading historians to have given birth to the version of the game as it is now known the world over.

Hampden Bowling Club, adjacent to the city’s Queen’s Park, is the site of the first Hampden Park which is the world’s first purpose build international football ground, home of Scottish football, and was located at the previously unsung site for 11 years from 1873.

Parts of the original pavilion, including the roof, are incorporated into the unassuming clubhouse which stands at the junction of Queens Drive and Cathcart Road, yards from a railway line and a tenement block.

Now, in the week following the Scottish Football Hall of Fame’s inductee dinner, Tennent’s has boosted the first stage of a bold restoration project launched to cement the venue’s place in the history books. Partnering with Hampden Bowling Club, Scotland’s most popular pint has committed to pour thousands of pounds into the primary phase of a fundraising drive to help the venue shine a light on its remarkable backstory - and claim its rightful place in the sporting world’s history books.

The restoration of the site, which will include repairing the roof, windows and electrics within the pavilion plus repairs to the grounds, has already seen the unveiling of a stunning mural illustrating the location’s place in sporting history. The work, by artist Ashley Rawson, depicts just some of the rich history to have been played out on the site - including Scotland’s 5-1 victory over England in 1882. It also features Andrew Watson, believed to be the first black player in association football, who played for Scotland in the 1880s.

Scotland were unbeaten on the site, and despite parts of the structure being removed and reused at a variety of sites around the city from the late 1800s, the pavilion was returned to the original site in 1905.

The Hampden Collection, a group committed to promoting the legacy of the Three Hampdens, claim the venue is home to the “modern” style of football known as the “passing and running” game, believed to have been invented by Scottish clans more than 500 years ago. This style of playing was passed down through generations in northern Scotland, with the Highlanders’ influence shaping the game when many of them moved south to Glasgow and formed Queen’s Park in the 1867. It proved so successful that it was adopted around the world.

James Hughes, Tennent’s Brand Manager, said: “We’re in no doubt about the significance Hampden Bowling Club has in world football. Tennent’s is as synonymous with the game in Scotland as the Hampden Roar and the half-time pie. We’re thrilled to continue our long and proud association with Scottish football and to be able to play our part in preserving the most important site in the history of the world’s favourite sport - just a couple of miles from the site of one of Scotland’s oldest breweries.

“Hugh Tennent was a man who loved to engage with his city’s culture in the late 1800s, and we’re confident Hugh would have been at the first Hampden Park cheering on Scotland in their triumphs in the early days of Tennent’s Lager.”

Graeme Brown, Co-Founder of the Hampden Collection, said: “As we’ve seen at all three Hampden venues over the years, great teams can do great things. We’re delighted to have teamed up with Tennent’s to kick-off our drive to #Restore1stHampden and ensure it becomes an essential part of Scottish History for future generations to enjoy.”

Ged O’Brien, author, historian and creator of the Scottish Football Museum and the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, said: “The line in the song ‘football’s coming home’ is simply not correct.

“The true home of the passing and running game is what we know now as Hampden Bowling Club. This style of contest was so popular and successful that it was exported from Scotland all over the world. It became the way the game was played around the world, and we have evidence to the fact that it was officially established here in Glasgow.”

Tennent's x Hampden Bowling Club (7).JPG

Mural FINISHED.jpg

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