World's first international football stadium given protected status

The Hampden ground has long been considered the first stadium where many of the aspects now common to a football stadium - such as grandstands, turnstiles and season tickets for entry - originated.

Dara Parsons, head of designations at HES, said: "It feels timely to recognise the central role that Scotland played in the development of the sport, and the place of First Hampden within that story.

"The remains of the pavilion at the first Hampden are a link to the earliest days of football in Scotland, and its importance to, and impact on, communities. It is a monument to our national game and to the origins of the modern football stadium."

There were concerns the land could be re-developed [Campbell Ramage]

The decision followed a public consultation which showed support for the designation.

Parsons added: "We'd like to thank everyone who took time to take part in our consultation and share their valuable contributions.

"We had a great response, and we are looking to continue that engagement over the summer where we will be asking people to suggest important football heritage sites from across the whole of Scotland for us to investigate."

The original ground was replaced by the second Hampden Park in 1884, which was followed by the third version of the stadium - in Mount Florida - in 1903.

Hampden Bowling Club took over the original stadium's land in 1905 but closed earlier this year.

More than 8,000 scheduled monuments are currently spread across Scotland.

Among the most recent scheduled monuments are gun emplacements and anti-invasion defences from World War Two.

The monuments are of all types, including prehistoric burial mounds, Roman forts, early Christian carved stones and industrial mills.

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