Call to bring big matches to Edinburgh when Hampden shuts

FOOTBALL chiefs have been urged to bring major matches like the Scottish Cup Final to the Capital after it was announced Hampden would shut down ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The national football stadium will close from November 2013 so it can be transformed into an athletics arena.

A new 400m track is to be installed in the stadium, which will host all of Glasgow 2014’s track and field events.

Matches involving the Scottish national team and the finals and semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and League Cup will have to be moved, with the stadium not due to reopen until near the end of 2014.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, the council’s deputy leader and the city’s events champion, said: “We will be looking at what we as a council can do to get the matches to Murrayfield, but I would have thought that Scotland’s capital is the first place that should be looking at hosting them.

“Murrayfield is a great stadium – even better than Hampden – with better sight-lines and offering more of an experience.”

Hamish Husband, spokesman for the Association of Tartan Army Clubs, said: “If you play a massive game then why not play it at the largest stadium?

“If you draw a big international, you could play at Murrayfield as you generate more revenue and more people would get to see the game.”

An SRU spokesman said: “Scottish Rugby is always prepared to discuss any approach to bring major events, sporting or entertainment, to Murrayfield, the city of Edinburgh and Scotland, provided it does not conflict with our core business of rugby.”