The Forgotten Hampden

On the Grounds of Titwood Park

Two Trophies; one cricket bat

#Fitba150 was launched in earnest at Titwood, the home of Clydesdale Cricket Club, on Thursday 17th November 2022 to a clubhouse filled to the gunnels with an invited audience.

The header for the evening was “This story will blow your mind.”

Hosted by Jack McGill of QTV, a series of presentations and interviews told the ‘Forgotten Hampden’ story of Titwood Park and its association with Queen’s Park Football Club as well as revealing the hugely important involvement of cricket, its clubs and its players at the dawn of association football and the subsequent explosion of the ‘people’s game’ around the world by Scotch Professors.

When the Scottish Football Association was founded in 1873, it was by Queen’s Park Football Club and seven cricket clubs. To have, for probably the first time in over 140 years, the four surviving clubs together again for an evening, was hugely important. (Queen’s Park, Clydesdale, Vale of Leven and Kilmarnock)

The audience was treated to the importance of the Rowan Cup, the oldest T20 cricket trophy in the world and the Eglinton Jug, after the Americas Cup, the world’s second oldest team sports trophy and cricket’s oldest one. Important sporting legacies from the Scottish cricket world. (Thanks to Ferguslie and Ayr Cricket Clubs for bringing the trophies along on the night)

Walter G Arnott, the grandson of Wattie Arnott, a Scotch Professor and Scotland football legend, attended and brought along his grandfather’s cricket bat from 1882, a fitting example of the inter-connection of cricket and football as football began to explode around the world.

The audience was ensorcelled as the stories, associations, connections and actions of the cricket clubs and their members were delivered by the various speakers. But the poignancy of the presentations by Norry Wilson of Lost Glasgow fame, noted journalist Kevin Ferrie and finally Neil Stobie of the memories project were the ones that left a mark and much to ponder about.

Dr. Fiona Skillen’s interview with Lynn Forsyth, a dual internationalist at football and hockey, discussed how fundamental it is to have role models for sporting success and how she, Lynn, had been inspired at a young age by having role models and that had been an essential component in her work with young kids to get them active in sport.

Lindsay Hamilton of the Glasgow Football tours and Graeme Brown of the Hampden Collection discussed and explained their respective interests and also the square mile of football and the importance of Glasgow’s sporting
heritage.

The evening finished with Graeme Brown explaining the UNESCO World Heritage Site bid for Football’s Square Mile and the legacy it has given to a sport now played or watched by over 3.5 billion people around the world.
A thoroughly entertaining and informative evening and huge thanks have to be given to Clydesdale Cricket Club for hosting the event to kickstart the #fitba150 celebrations.

Special thanks have to be given to all of the organisers, the speakers, Jack McGill and his QTV production staff and all the guests who attended.

The continued support is welcomed and appreciated.