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Scottish football attendance records

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Hampden Park, Scotland's national football stadium, holds several Scottish and European attendance records.

This article lists Scottish football attendance records under the categories listed below. The highest ever attendance for a UEFA competition match was in the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final at Hampden Park, Scotland's national stadium. A record 136,505 people attended the match between Celtic and Leeds United. The attendance of 149,415 for the Scotland vs. England international match of 1937 at Hampden Park is also a European record. The attendance of 147,365 for the 1937 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park is a European record for a club match. Rangers' record attendance of 118,567 at Ibrox is a British record for a league match.

By club

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Current SPFL member clubs

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This is a list of all 42 Scottish Professional Football League clubs' record match attendances at their home ground. The vast majority of these records were achieved before the advent of all-seater stadia. The cost of building all-seater grounds, and a general decline in attendances, means the present capacities of the clubs stadiums are well below their record attendances. Some records were achieved at a club's previous ground, rather than their current location. For example, Clyde's record was set at Shawfield Stadium, whilst they have since moved to Broadwood Stadium[1]and New Douglas Park. Records set while ground-sharing or at a venue other than the club's home stadium are not included. For example, Celtic were the home team when 136,505 attended their 1969–70 European Cup semi-final second leg match against Leeds United, but the match was played at Hampden Park, not Celtic Park.[2] Rangers' record attendance of 118,567 is also the British record for a league match.[3][4]

Rank Club Attendance Stadium Opponent Competition Date Refs
1 Rangers 118,567 Ibrox Park Celtic League 2 January 1939 [3][5][4]
2 Queen's Park 95,722 Hampden Park Rangers Scottish Cup 18 January 1930 [6]
3 Celtic 83,500[note 1] Celtic Park Rangers League 1 January 1938 [7][8][9]
4 Hibernian 65,860 Easter Road Heart of Midlothian League 2 January 1950 [10]
5 Heart of Midlothian 53,396 Tynecastle Park Rangers Scottish Cup 13 February 1932 [11]
6 Clyde 52,000 Shawfield Stadium Rangers League 21 November 1908 [1]
7 Partick Thistle 49,838 Firhill Stadium Rangers League 18 February 1922 [12]
8 St Mirren 47,438 Love Street Celtic League 20 August 1949 [13]
9 Aberdeen 45,061 Pittodrie Stadium Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup 3 March 1954 [14]
10 Dundee 43,024 Dens Park Rangers Scottish Cup 7 February 1953 [15]
11 Kilmarnock 35,995 Rugby Park Rangers Scottish Cup 10 March 1962 [16]
12 Motherwell 35,632 Fir Park Rangers Scottish Cup 12 March 1952 [17]
13 Raith Rovers 31,306 Stark's Park Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup 7 February 1953 [18]
14 St Johnstone 29,972 Muirton Park Dundee Scottish Cup 10 February 1951 [19]
15 Hamilton Academical 28,690 Douglas Park Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup 3 March 1937 [20]
16 Dundee United 28,000 Tannadice Park Barcelona Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 16 November 1966 [21]
17 Dunfermline Athletic 27,816 East End Park Celtic League 30 April 1968 [22]
18 Albion Rovers 27,381 Cliftonhill Rangers Scottish Cup 8 February 1936 [23]
19 Queen of the South 26,552 Palmerston Park Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup 23 February 1952 [24]
20 Stirling Albion 26,400 Annfield Stadium Celtic Scottish Cup 14 March 1959 [25]
21 Cowdenbeath 25,586 Central Park Rangers League Cup 21 September 1949 [26]
22 Ayr United 25,225 Somerset Park Rangers League 13 September 1969 [27]
23 Greenock Morton 23,500 Cappielow Celtic League 29 April 1922 [28]
24 Falkirk 23,100 Brockville Park Celtic Scottish Cup 21 February 1953 [29]
25 East Fife 22,515 Bayview Park[note 2] Raith Rovers League 2 January 1950 [30]
26 Dumbarton 18,000 Boghead Park Raith Rovers Scottish Cup 2 March 1957 [31]
27 Alloa Athletic 13,000 Recreation Park Dunfermline Athletic Scottish Cup 26 February 1939 [32]
28 Arbroath 13,510 Gayfield Park Rangers Scottish Cup 22 February 1952 [33]
29 Elgin City 12,608 Borough Briggs Arbroath Scottish Cup 17 February 1968 [34]
30 Stenhousemuir 12,500 Ochilview Park East Fife Scottish Cup 11 March 1950 [35]
31 Forfar Athletic 10,780 Station Park Rangers Scottish Cup 7 February 1970 [36]
32 Livingston 10,112 Almondvale Stadium Rangers League 27 October 2001 [37]
33 Airdrieonians 9,044 Excelsior Stadium Rangers League 23 August 2013 [38]
34 Montrose 8,983 Links Park Dundee Scottish Cup 17 March 1973 [39]
35 Peterhead 8,643 Recreation Park Raith Rovers Scottish Cup 25 February 1987 [40]
37 Ross County 8,000 Victoria Park Rangers Scottish Cup 28 February 1966 [41]
38 Inverness CT 7,711 Caledonian Stadium Rangers League 4 August 2007 [42][note 3]
39 Stranraer 6,500 Stair Park Rangers Scottish Cup 24 January 1948 [43]
40 Edinburgh City 2,522 Meadowbank Stadium Hibernian Friendly match 7 July 2016 [44]
41 Annan Athletic 2,517 Galabank Stadium Rangers League 15 September 2012 [45]
42 Cove Rangers 2,100 Allan Park Deveronvale Highland League April/May 2009 [46]

Former SPFL member clubs

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Club Attendance Stadium Opponent Competition Date Refs
Third Lanark 45,455 Cathkin Park Rangers Scottish Cup 27 February 1954 [47]
Airdrieonians 24,000 Broomfield Park Heart of Midlothian Scottish Cup 8 March 1952 [48]
Clydebank 14,900 Kilbowie Park Hibernian Scottish Cup 10 February 1965 [49]
Berwick Rangers 13,365 Shielfield Park Rangers Scottish Cup 28 January 1967 [50]
East Stirlingshire 12,000 Firs Park Partick Thistle Scottish Cup 19 February 1921 [51]
Brechin City 8,122 Glebe Park Aberdeen Scottish Cup 3 February 1973 [52]
Gretna 3,000 Raydale Park Dundee United Scottish Cup 17 January 2005 [53][note 4]

Cup finals

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The attendance of 147,365 for the 1937 Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen at Hampden Park is a European record for a club match.[54][4][2]

The attendance of 136,274 for the 1952 Scottish Cup Final between Motherwell and Dundee is a Scottish record for a match not involving Celtic, Rangers or the Scotland national team.[55]

While less than 50% of the all-time record crowds at Hampden, the attendance of 72,069 at the 1989 Scottish Cup Final[56] has become a landmark figure as no match in Scotland has come close to matching it since, owing to subsequent stadium modernisation which left no venue with a greater capacity.[57]

Competition Attendance Stadium Match Date Refs
Scottish Cup 147,365 Hampden Park Celtic v Aberdeen 24 April 1937 [2][4]
League Cup 107,609[note 5][58] Hampden Park Celtic v Rangers 25 October 1965 [59]
Southern League Cup[note 6][60][61] 135,000 Hampden Park Aberdeen v Rangers 11 May 1946 [62][63][64]
Junior Cup 77,650 Hampden Park Petershill v Irvine Meadow 19 May 1951 [65]
Challenge Cup 48,133 Hampden Park Rangers v Peterhead 10 April 2016 [66]

Scotland national team

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See also: England–Scotland football rivalry

This section lists the top ten attendances for the Scotland national team in home matches. The attendance of 149,415 for the Scotland vs. England match of 1937 at Hampden Park is a European record.[2][67]

Rank Attendance Date Stadium Opponent Competition Score[note 7]
1 149,415[note 8] 17 April 1937 Hampden Park  England BHC 3–1
2 149,269 15 April 1939 Hampden Park  England BHC 1–2
3 137,438 25 April 1970 Hampden Park  England BHC 0–0
4 135,376 10 April 1948 Hampden Park  England BHC 0–2
5 134,544 3 April 1954 Hampden Park  England BHC / WCQG3 2–4
6 134,504 5 April 1952 Hampden Park  England BHC 1–2
7 134,170 1 April 1933 Hampden Park  England BHC 2–1
8 134,000 24 February 1968 Hampden Park  England BHC / ECQG8 1–1
9 133,300 15 April 1950 Hampden Park  England BHC 0–1
10 133,245 11 April 1964 Hampden Park  England BHC 1–0

Outwith Scotland fixtures, an exhibition match between Great Britain and the Rest of the World in 1947 attracted a crowd quoted as up to 137,000.[68][69][70]

European football

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See also: Scottish football clubs in international competitions § Finals at Hampden

The attendance of 136,505 for the 1969–70 European Cup semi-final second leg between Celtic and Leeds United played at Hampden Park is the highest ever for a UEFA competition match.[2][4]

The crowd of 127,621 at the 1960 European Cup Final (Real Madrid 7–3 Eintracht Frankfurt) remains the record for any UEFA competition final.[71] The highest attendance at a final involving a Scottish club (they have been involved in 11, including two in the UEFA Super Cup) was the home leg of the 1961 European Cup Winners' Cup Final (Rangers 0–2 Fiorentina), when 80,000 attended Ibrox Park.[72]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Newspaper reports at the time indicate that the officially returned attendance was given as 83,500, with an estimated further 10,000 supporters locked out of the ground for safety reasons. However, the ground's capacity was gauged at the time as being around 88,000 and several subsequent sources (including the club's official website) have since revised the attendance up to 92,000.
  2. ^ Bayview Park refers to the old East Fife stadium, in use prior to 1998, rather than the current Bayview Stadium.
  3. ^ Inverness' record attendance of 9,530 set on 26 October 2004 was set at Pittodrie Stadium, where the club was ground-sharing with Aberdeen.
  4. ^ Gretna's record attendance of 6,137 set on 16 January 2008 was set at Fir Park, where the club was ground-sharing with Motherwell.
  5. ^ The tournament record was set in 1947 when Rangers overcame Hibernian in a semi-final before 123,830.
  6. ^ The Southern League Cup was an unofficial competition held during World War II. The last edition in 1945–46, which despite its name was a nationwide tournament, was held after the end of the conflict, and is considered by winners Aberdeen to be a major trophy.
  7. ^ Scotland's score is shown first.
  8. ^ Some sources list the attendance as 149,547

References

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  1. ^ a b "Clyde". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Hampden History". Scotland's National Stadium. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "A Look at Ibrox' s Rich History". rangers.co.uk. Rangers FC. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d e McLean, David (18 May 2017). "Scotland's all-time record football attendances". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Rangers". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 2 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Queen's Park". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  7. ^ "Happy New Year for Celtic and Queens Park". The Glasgow Herald. 3 January 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Celtic in all time records". Soccerbase. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  9. ^ Hannan, Martin (2012). Hail! Hail!: Classic Celtic Old Firm Clashes. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 9781780577128. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Hibernian". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  11. ^ "Hearts". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  12. ^ "Partick Thistle". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  13. ^ "St Mirren". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  14. ^ "Aberdeen". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  15. ^ "Dundee". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Kilmarnock". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  17. ^ "Motherwell". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  18. ^ "Raith Rovers". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  19. ^ "CLUB HISTORY". stjohnstonefc.co.uk. St Johnstone FC. Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  20. ^ "Hamilton Academical". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  21. ^ "Dundee United". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  22. ^ "Dunfermline". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  23. ^ "Albion Rovers". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  24. ^ "Queen of the South". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  25. ^ "Stirling Albion". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  26. ^ "Cowdenbeath". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  27. ^ "Ayr United". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  28. ^ "Greenock Morton". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  29. ^ "Falkirk". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  30. ^ "East Fife". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  31. ^ "Dumbarton". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  32. ^ "Alloa Athletic". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  33. ^ "Arbroath". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  34. ^ "Elgin City". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  35. ^ "Stenhousemuir". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  36. ^ "Forfar Athletic". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  37. ^ "Livingston". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  38. ^ "Airdrieonians". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  39. ^ "Montrose". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  40. ^ "Peterhead". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 3 November 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  41. ^ "Ross County". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  42. ^ Grant, Michael (4 August 2007). "Wind of change". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  43. ^ "Stranraer". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  44. ^ "Edinburgh City". footballgroundguide.com. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  45. ^ "Annan Athletic 0–0 Rangers". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  46. ^ Evening Express. 17 November 2014. The largest official attendance was 2,100 for a Highland League decider against Deveronvale in 2009. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. ^ "Statistics". thirdlanarkac.co.uk. 9 April 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  48. ^ "Airdrieonians all time records". The Broomfield Stomp. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
  49. ^ "Clydebank - Senior Club Records". clydebankfc.co.uk. Clydebank FC. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  50. ^ "Berwick Rangers". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  51. ^ "East Stirlingshire". footballgroundguide.com. Duncan Adams. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  52. ^ "Brechin City". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  53. ^ "Scottish ground guide - Gretna". scottishgrounds.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  54. ^ "Brief History". Celtic FC. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  55. ^ "Charlie Cox". The Scotsman. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  56. ^ Traynor, James (22 May 1989). "Tension and fear spoil show-piece". The Glasgow Herald. p. 22. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  57. ^ Gavin Berry (24 October 2018). "Hearts' clash with Celtic will boast Scottish football's biggest crowd in 29 years". Daily Record. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  58. ^ "Hampden's 100,000+ Crowd Records". ScottishLeague. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  59. ^ "Scottishleague.net - League Cup". Scottishleague.net. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
  60. ^ "League Cup History 1946". Aberdeen F.C. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  61. ^ "Dons want to win the Scottish Cup for their 90-year legend Alex". Evening Express. 25 May 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  62. ^ "Rangers 2–3 Aberdeen". Fitbastats. 11 May 1946. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  63. ^ "Match Report: Aberdeen 3–2 Rangers". AFC Heritage Trust. 11 May 1946. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  64. ^ Miller, Willie (2011). Willie Miller's Aberdeen Dream Team. Black & White Publishing. ISBN 9781845024031.
  65. ^ "Scottish Junior Cup - History". scottishfa.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  66. ^ "Scottish Challenge Cup: Rangers 4 Peterhead 0". skysports.com. Sky Sports. 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  67. ^ Scotland 3 England 1, The Blizzard, 1 June 2015
  68. ^ England Player Honours – International Representative Teams. England Football Online "130,000"
  69. ^ "The four British associations return to FIFA after the Second World War: 25th FIFA Congress in Luxembourg in 1946". FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2019. It pulls in a crowd of 135,000 eager fans.
  70. ^ Matches of Supranational Representative Teams 1937–1970, RSSSF "137,000"
  71. ^ "114 Years of the Hampden Roar". Scottish Football Museum. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  72. ^ Rangers lose first leg of final, Glasgow Herald, 18 May 1961 (via Google news archive)
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