Queen’s Park President Graeme Shields and his counterpart from the Clydesdale Cricket and Hockey Club, Ali Bleach met at The Hampden Bowling Club this afternoon in a ceremony to mark 150 years since the clubs met in the first ever Scottish Cup Final.
The ceremony was hosted by The Hampden Collection who aim to celebrate, promote and protect the 3 Hampden Parks and All Who Played on Them with Graeme and Ali on the hallowed turf of what was proven in 2017 to be the sight of the first Hampden Park, which stood from 1873 to 1874.
It was the venue for the first ever Final back on March 21, 1874, and Queen’s Park won 2-0 on that day in front of 2500 people thanks to goals from Billy MacKinnon and Robert Leckie.
Fifteen teams entered the inaugural Scottish Cup and the fees they paid for entry were used to pay for the trophy which is now the oldest national trophy in world football and the Cup was also proudly on display at The First Hampden.
The success over Clydesdale was the first of ten cup wins for Queen’s Park and of course the club remains the only Scottish club to have featured in the Final of the FA Cup having done so twice – 1884 and 1885.
Club President Graeme Shields, who wore The Queen’s Park Presidents’ chain that includes Scottish Cup winners’ medals from all the club’s ten successes on it, including the first one from 1874, for the ceremony said: “It was an honour to be part of this occasion to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever Scottish Cup Final.”
