Lesser Hampden
| Lesser | |
 | |
  Lesser Hampden Location in Glasgow | |
| Coordinates | 55°49′32.15″N 4°15′19.70″W / 55.8255972°N 4.2554722°W |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 12,000 (on opening) |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1923 |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Tenants | |
| Queen's Park F.C. youth | |
Lesser Hampden is a football stadium in Glasgow, Scotland, which is located immediately beside the western end of Hampden Park.
In 1923, Queen's Park were looking for an alternative venue for their other teams.[1] The club purchased a farm to the west of Hampden Park and built a pitch and stands.[1] When it opened in 1924, Lesser Hampden had a capacity of 12,000.[1] To save money, the original farmhouse was retained and was converted into a pavilion and dressing room.[1] This farmhouse, which dates back to the 19th century is believed by football historians to be the oldest football building in the world.[1][2][3] The changing rooms were closed in 2013 for safety reasons.[3]
During World War II, Lesser Hampden was commandeered by the British Government to serve as a base for the Home Guard.[1] There were proposals to convert the site back to agriculture if there were food shortages, but the ground was returned to the football club at the end of the war in 1945.[1]
During the 1970s, several Queen's Park first team games were played at the stadium. During the redevelopment of the main stadium in the 1990s, the club played Scottish Football League matches at the ground.[1] In 2002, it was discovered that Lesser Hampden was tainted with chromium.[4] This was cleaned up at a cost of around £40,000.[1] The ground served as a staging area for pre-game tailgate parties hosted by the Scottish Claymores American Football side when they played at Hampden Park.
The stadium is now hemmed in by housing and commercial development. It has some areas of terracing, floodlights and a small covered grandstand adjacent to the farmhouse. Lesser Hampden now has a 3rd generation astro-grass pitch, where the youth teams play and train. It was used as a warm-up area for athletes competing in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, as the track and field events were held at Hampden Park.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Halliday, Stephen (23 December 2005). "Lesser Hampden - Living in the Shadow". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ "Queen's Park to build solid new foundations". Scottish Football League. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
- 1 2 "Queen's Park lose unique record". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ "Toxic waste found near Hampden". BBC News. BBC. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ Barnes, John (4 October 2012). "Hampden will be closed to football for Glasgow 2014 preparations". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2014.