25/10/2026
To the Chair and Board of City Property Glasgow,
160 years ago, Glasgow was in the middle of an Industrial Revolution. Men from across Scotland were flocking to the Southside, seeking work in the factories, mines and yards that were building the “Empire’s Second City.”
With so many young men living alone and living away from their communities, the YMCA opened a branch in the Southside of Glasgow, offering young men an opportunity to practice a centuries old sport: football.
During one practice, errant balls were repeatedly kicked into a group of 10 men from the North East, exercising in the neighbouring ground. It became apparent that these two groups could not share the park, so as a compromise, the men joined the YMCA football practice; a moment that would change Scottish football forever.
As many today will attest, football is an easy game to fall in love with and these men, inspired by the rigour and competition of their first practice, established Queen’s Park FC, now Scotland’s oldest surviving football club. Six years later, its members and supporters came together to fundraise for an enclosed pitch, admission gates and a small wooden pavilion. First Hampden was born.
What if those ten men had never joined that football game? What if they had simply walked away?
First Hampden is a story of friendship, recreation and a shared sense of belonging. Scottish football continues that tradition today. Our supporters demonstrate friendship, generosity and solidarity at home and abroad. They remind us that football can bring people together for good.
While we all benefit from the preservation of our heritage, this matters now more than ever for Glasgow’s young men.
Last month, Movember published their 2026 report on men’s health in Scotland. They revealed that men in Glasgow are almost four times more likely to die prematurely than men in postcodes less than 10 miles away. We know young men face isolation, online pressures and barriers to seeking support, but we still know too little about their lives, their friendships and the experiences that shape their mental health.
That lack of understanding has serious consequences.
That lack of understanding is costing lives.
Scotland must now do three things.
First, bring together organisations working in men’s health, youth work, football, heritage and community development to better understand and support young men. We must work together and we must do so quickly.
Second, we must invest in researching the lives of young men. We need to know where friendships are lost, how isolation develops and what prevents young men from seeking support. Without that understanding, we cannot build an effective response to the challenges they face.
Third, celebrate positive male role models, including those from our past. Scotland’s history belongs not only to kings, generals and captains of industry, but to ordinary working-class people whose friendships and determination changed the world.
First Hampden is part of that history. Preserving it tells Glasgow’s young men that working together to better your community can create a legacy that your grandchildren will fight to preserve.
For heritage. For community. For Glasgow’s young men. Save First Hampden.
YMCA Scotland
