Scottish football attendance records explained

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

Current SPFL member clubs

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 Stadiumand 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.[1] Rangers' record attendance of 118,567 is also the British record for a league match.[2]

RankClubdata-sort-type="number"AttendanceStadiumOpponentCompetitionDateRefs
1 118,567 [3]
2 95,722 [4]
3 83,500 [5] [6] [7]
4 65,860 [8]
5 53,396 [9]
6 52,000 [10]
7 49,838 [11]
8 47,438 [12]
9 45,061 [13]
10 43,024 [14]
11 35,995 [15]
12 35,632 [16]
13 31,306 [17]
14 29,972 [18]
15 28,690 [19]
16 28,000 [20]
17 27,816 [21]
18 27,381 [22]
19 26,552 [23]
20 26,400 [24]
21 25,586 [25]
22 25,225 [26]
23 23,500 [27]
24 23,100 [28]
25 22,515 Bayview Park[29] [30]
26 18,000 [31]
27 13,000 [32]
28 13,510 [33]
29 12,608 [34]
30 12,500 [35]
31 10,780 [36]
32 10,112 [37]
33 9,044 [38]
34 8,983 [39]
35 8,643 Recreation Park [40]
37 8,000 [41]
38 7,711 [42] [43]
39 6,500 [44]
40 2,522 [45]
41 2,517 [46]
42 2,100 Allan Park April/May 2009 [47]

Former SPFL member clubs

Club !Attendance Stadium !Opponent Competition !Date Refs
45,455 [48]
24,000 [49]
14,900 [50]
13,365 [51]
12,000 [52]
8,122 [53]
3,000 [54] [55]

Cup finals

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.[56] [57] [1]

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.[58]

While less than 50% of the all-time record crowds at Hampden, the attendance of 72,069 at the 1989 Scottish Cup Final[59] 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.[60]

Competition !Attendance Stadium !Match Date !Refs
147,365
107,609[61] [62] [63]
Southern League Cup[64] [65] [66] 135,000 [67] [68] [69]
77,650 [70]
48,133 [71]

Scotland national team

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.[1] [72]

Rank !Attendance Date !Stadium Opponent !Competition Score[73]
1 149,415[74] 3–1
2 149,269 1–2
3 137,438 0–0
4 135,376 0–2
5 134,544 2–4
6 134,504 1–2
7 134,170 2–1
8 134,000 1–1
9 133,300 0–1
10 133,245 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.[75] [76] [77]

European football

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.[1] [57]

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.[78] 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.[79]

See also

Notes

  1. Web site: Hampden History. Scotland's National Stadium. 20 January 2018.
  2. Web site: A Look at Ibrox' s Rich History . 29 September 2013 . Rangers FC . rangers.co.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20090721124359/http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Ibrox/0,,5,00.html . 21 July 2009.
  3. News: Rangers . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 2 December 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  4. Web site: Queen's Park . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 16 January 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  5. News: Happy New Year for Celtic and Queens Park. 14 November 2016. The Glasgow Herald. 3 January 1938. 16.
  6. Web site: Celtic in all time records. Soccerbase. 28 September 2015.
  7. Book: Hannan. Martin. Hail! Hail!: Classic Celtic Old Firm Clashes. 2012. Mainstream Publishing. 14 November 2016. 9781780577128.
  8. Web site: Hibernian . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  9. Web site: Hearts . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  10. Web site: Clyde . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 16 September 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  11. Web site: Partick Thistle . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  12. Web site: St Mirren . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  13. Web site: Aberdeen . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  14. Web site: Dundee . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 22 September 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  15. Web site: Kilmarnock . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  16. Web site: Motherwell . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  17. Web site: Raith Rovers . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 15 September 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  18. Web site: CLUB HISTORY . St Johnstone FC . stjohnstonefc.co.uk . 2008-06-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080522085454/http://www.stjohnstonefc.co.uk/HISTORY.ASP . 2008-05-22.
  19. Web site: Hamilton Academical . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 14 October 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  20. Web site: Dundee United . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  21. Web site: Dunfermline . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  22. Web site: Albion Rovers . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  23. Web site: Queen of the South . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 September 2013.
  24. Web site: Stirling Albion . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 January 2013.
  25. Web site: Cowdenbeath . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 .
  26. Web site: Ayr United . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  27. Web site: Greenock Morton . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 1 September 2012.
  28. Web site: Falkirk . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 17 September 2013.
  29. Bayview Park refers to the old East Fife stadium, in use prior to 1998, rather than the current Bayview Stadium.
  30. Web site: East Fife . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  31. Web site: Dumbarton . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 20 September 2013.
  32. Web site: Alloa Athletic . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  33. Web site: Arbroath . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  34. Web site: Elgin City . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 September 2013.
  35. Web site: Stenhousemuir . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 7 December 2013.
  36. Web site: Forfar Athletic . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-08-24.
  37. Web site: Livingston . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 12 September 2013.
  38. Web site: Airdrieonians . footballgroundguide.com . Duncan Adams . 2013 . 28 December 2013.
  39. Web site: Montrose . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 January 2013.
  40. Web site: Peterhead . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 3 November 2012.
  41. Web site: Ross County . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  42. News: Wind of change . Herald & Times Group . The Herald . Michael . Grant . 28 December 2013 . 4 August 2007.
  43. Inverness' record attendance of 9,530 set on 26 October 2004 was set at Pittodrie Stadium, where the club was ground-sharing with Aberdeen.
  44. Web site: Stranraer . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 1 September 2013.
  45. Web site: Edinburgh City . footballgroundguide.com . 24 April 2017 . 1 December 2016.
  46. Web site: Annan Athletic 0–0 Rangers . BBC Sport . BBC . 15 September 2012 . 6 October 2012.
  47. News: Evening Express . 17 November 2014 . The largest official attendance was 2,100 for a Highland League decider against Deveronvale in 2009..
  48. Web site: Statistics . 28 December 2013 . thirdlanarkac.co.uk . 9 April 2012.
  49. News: Airdrieonians all time records. 2008-02-27. The Broomfield Stomp.
  50. Web site: Clydebank - Senior Club Records . 28 December 2013 . Clydebank FC . clydebankfc.co.uk.
  51. Web site: Berwick Rangers . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 September 2013.
  52. Web site: East Stirlingshire . Duncan Adams . footballgroundguide.com . 28 December 2013 . 16 September 2013.
  53. Web site: Brechin City . scottishgrounds.co.uk . 2008-06-26.
  54. News: Scottish ground guide - Gretna. scottishgrounds.co.uk. 2008-06-26. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120216010542/http://www.scottishgrounds.co.uk/gretna.htm. 16 February 2012.
  55. 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.
  56. Web site: Brief History . Celtic FC . 3 October 2017.
  57. News: Scotland's all-time record football attendances. David. McLean. The Scotsman . 18 May 2017. 4 December 2017.
  58. News: Charlie Cox. 30 January 2009. 6 November 2019. The Scotsman.
  59. News: Tension and fear spoil show-piece . The Glasgow Herald . 22 May 1989 . 22 . James . Traynor . 28 October 2018.
  60. Web site: Hearts' clash with Celtic will boast Scottish football's biggest crowd in 29 years . Daily Record . 24 October 2018. Gavin Berry . 28 October 2018.
  61. The tournament record was set in 1947 when Rangers overcame Hibernian in a semi-final before 123,830.
  62. Web site: Hampden's 100,000+ Crowd Records. ScottishLeague. 6 October 2013. 4 December 2017.
  63. News: Scottishleague.net - League Cup. 2008-02-27. Scottishleague.net.
  64. 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.
  65. Web site: League Cup History 1946. 27 January 2014. 10 January 2018. Aberdeen F.C..
  66. News: Dons want to win the Scottish Cup for their 90-year legend Alex . 25 May 2017. 10 January 2018. Evening Express.
  67. Web site: Rangers 2–3 Aberdeen. 11 May 1946. 10 January 2018. Fitbastats.
  68. Web site: Match Report: Aberdeen 3–2 Rangers. 11 May 1946. 10 January 2018. AFC Heritage Trust.
  69. Book: Miller, Willie. Willie Miller's Aberdeen Dream Team. 2011. Black & White Publishing. 9781845024031.
  70. News: Scottish Junior Cup - History. 2011-04-01. scottishfa.co.uk.
  71. Web site: Scottish Challenge Cup: Rangers 4 Peterhead 0. 10 April 2016 . 10 November 2016. Sky Sports. skysports.com .
  72. https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/article/Scotland-3-England-1 Scotland 3 England 1
  73. Scotland's score is shown first.
  74. Some sources list the attendance as 149,547
  75. http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamHons/HonsRepTms.html England Player Honours – International Representative Teams
  76. Web site: The four British associations return to FIFA after the Second World War: 25th FIFA Congress in Luxembourg in 1946 . It pulls in a crowd of 135,000 eager fans.. . 6 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20110430043931/http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/bodies/congress/britishassociation.html . 30 April 2011.
  77. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/contreps3770.html Matches of Supranational Representative Teams 1937–1970
  78. Web site: 114 Years of the Hampden Roar. Scottish Football Museum. 31 October 2017. 6 November 2019.
  79. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oxI1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=wqULAAAAIBAJ&pg=1879%2C2807120 Rangers lose first leg of final

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