Community around Glasgow's Hampden Stadium react to Rangers move

The Glasgow Times asked the people who live and work in the shadow of the stadium how they feel about the announcement. 

Hampden Stadium surrounds the communities of Mount Florida, King's Park, and Cathcart. 

The club will play home games at the national stadium due to construction work on the Copland Road stand at Ibrox being delayed. 

The deal between Rangers and the SFA was announced earlier this week, and is set to be in place until September 5.

This means the club's league fixtures against Motherwell and Ross County will be played at Hampden.

Rangers will also play at least one Champions League qualifier at the stadium, and another if they are to progress to the playoff round.

There is potential to be drawn in a Premier Sports Cup home tie which could see the club playing as many as five games at Hampden to kick off their season. 

Full details of the European and potential cup games are not yet available as the draws are still to take place.

Margaret McGuinness (Image: Newsquest)

Margaret McGuinness who lives in the area thinks that parking will be the biggest issue for locals. 

She believes the issue would be best dealt with through better transport services. She said: “Every time there seems to be an event they seem to be cut back."

She added: “The local community should have been considered a wee bit more but maybe it’ll bring a wee bit of money into the area."

John Sweeney (Image: Newsquest)

Lifelong Rangers fan John Sweeney said: “I love it, very happy it’s still in Glasgow where it should be.”

Having lived in the same flat overlooking Hampden for 37 years he thinks the “local community will love it with the shops are busy”.  

However, the lack of toilet facilities has long been an issue for him with his doorway often being used as a urinal. 

The 77-year-old said: “They could put Portaloos all over the place, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The money that the SFA are making it’d cost them nothing.

“Apart from that everything’s good, I’m glad they’re coming up here."

Jim Dowds (Image: Newsquest)

Jim Dowds, who lives a stone’s throw from the stadium, is “certainly not looking forward to it”.

The 79-year-old “avoids being here” when there are big events. 

He also thinks the local community have somewhat been forgotten: “There definitely should have been feelers put out to at least kid people on that they were thinking about them but they don’t care really."

We also spoke to those working in local businesses around the stadium about the impact they expect these fixtures to have on their workplaces. 

Lynne Dalglish (Image: Newsquest)

Lynne Dalglish, a bar tender at Tartan Coo, expects it will bring plenty football fans through her door. 

“When there’s anything on at Hampden it’s absolutely chock-a-block in here, it gets that busy in here that you can’t get past people.

“It’ll be good, we’ll be busy. We get days that are quiet in here so it might generate business through people learning that we’re here."

She thinks these fixtures won’t cause the same number of issues to the area as bigger events such as cup finals, she said: “It’ll not be like a Rangers Celtic match every time.”

Sully Rehman (Image: Newsquest)

Sully Rehman, who works at Bucks Bar, says he is “looking forward it”.

“It’ll be really good, busier service, great atmosphere, it’s good for people."

Having worked in the bar during many events at Hampden including the recent Pink and Foo Fighters gigs, Sully is clear that when the stadium is busy “it’s good for business”.

Arbaaz Mohammed (Image: Newsquest)

Arbaaz Mohammed also recognises that Rangers fans will likely be beneficial to local businesses.

“It’ll get a little bit chaotic, but it’s good for walk-ins. We’ll be prepared like we always are” he said 

Working in Vinnies Pizzeria he doesn’t foresee any issues: “There is always enough police around, so nothing really happens, if it does happen it’s pretty much taken care of immediately.”