The original Hampden was home of Queen's Park FC and the first purpose-built football stadium in the world. Until recently, the venue was at risk of being wiped out. Fortunately, this will not happen and in the new season, matches will be played there again.

It seems that the heyday of Queen's Park is long past, but no one will deny its status as a legendary club in the British football scene. Currently, the team is playing in League One (the third tier of the league pyramid in Scotland) and fighting for promotion to the Championship, as you can find out by analysing football odds today.

The fight for promotion is not the only goal of the club in the near future. Queen's Park has a serious infrastructure problem and cannot play at home. Its historic stadium, called Lesser Hampden, requires significant investments, and these have been held back by the outbreak of the pandemic.

© Robert Pool

The club will have to play elsewhere until its stadium is ready to stage matches. For now, it plays home fixtures at Firhill Stadium that is the facility of Partick Thistle. A ground share agreement is to last until the end of the season. If all goes as planned, Queen's Park will begin the 2022/23 campaign at the renovated Lesser Hampden, which is located just off the west end of Hampden Park - the present national stadium.

Until recently, this 50,000-seater venue also belonged to Queen's Park FC, but last year it was sold to the Scottish Football Association. However, the club decided to retain control of the intimate Lesser Hampden Stadium. What's more, Queen's Park became a professional team for the first time in its history.

As the club declares, Lesser Hampden is to be bigger and better after the reconstruction. The project involves the demolition of a pavilion called "the farmhouse" which is considered to be the oldest football building in the world.

It was used until 2013 as a changing room for players, but its current condition does not allow for reconstruction. Furthermore, the preservation of the building in its present location is not in line with the club's other plans to build facilities towards the Somerville Drive side of the ground.

© Queen's Park FC

The design envisages the creation of a new East Stand with a capacity of 1000 seats, dressing rooms, as well as areas for sponsors and directors. In addition, in the second phase, the playing field will be moved and resurfaced to make room for a South Stand for 500 visiting supporters.

Queen's Park FC received preliminary approval for the revamp in 2019. At that time, it also intended to upgrade the East Stand, but its capacity was planned for 812 on that occasion. Additionally, it was drafted to expand the West Stand to 914 seats and facilities for players and referees.

The plans were not implemented due to the aforementioned pandemic crisis. At this point, we know that the officials of Scotland's oldest club have submitted two new applications that are close to being approved by the local council.

© Queen's Park FC