Hampden Park will remain the home of Scottish football, the SFA has confirmed.
The stadium will be purchased for £5million in 2020 from Queen’s Park, when the SFA’s current lease expires.
It ends the speculation over the future of the national game, with Hampden put head-to-head against Murrayfield – the home of Scottish rugby – in the bidding process.
Half of the sum will be contributed by Lord Willie Haughey, a Scottish businessman who has put forward £2.5million to help purchase the site from the League 2 club.
The governing body’s chief executive Ian Maxwell said it represents a big day in Scottish football and hinted at redevelopments for Hampden in the future.
NEWS | Scottish FA agree to remain at Hampden Park https://t.co/C8VSJtCnVF pic.twitter.com/cdih001MN0
— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) September 11, 2018
Maxwell said: “Today is a big day for Scottish football. Hampden Park has been the spiritual home of Scottish football for over 100 years it has been central to our sport’s identity in this country. But today’s decision is about the future, not the past.
“Our mission is to inspire a nation to love the game and having a home that we can call our own is an important part of that. It will enable us to drive investment into the game and give us the best chance to improve football in Scotland.
“While we are now committed to Hampden Park we also recognise that it needs to change. We have heard the fans’ views throughout the process and agree with them that we need to improve access, transport links and the overall experience. We are committed to doing that.”
While Hampden Park, which has a current capacity of 51,866, will remain the main stadium, the association is prepared to play some internationals away from the National Stadium after just 17,455 turned up to watch Alex McLeish’s side beat Albania 2-0 on Monday.
Scottish FA president Alan McRae said: “Today’s announcement has been the conclusion of a four-year process to review our national stadium beyond 2020.
“It was a hugely difficult decision and I would like to place on record our thanks to Scottish Rugby for their professionalism throughout the process.
“This decision is about what was best for Scottish football and our members. It is about the future of football in Scotland.
“I would also like to thank everyone who has been part of this process and to recognise the enormous generosity of Lord Haughey.
“Finally, it has also been a hugely challenging time for Queen’s Park, Hampden Park Limited and all of the people who will be directly affected by this decision.
“We appreciate all their efforts to reach an agreement today and look forward to working with them to shape the future and continue to develop a national stadium that we can all be proud of.”
Queen’s Park will develop Lesser Hampden as part of the deal, to become their licensed ground.
