 The next item of business is members' business debate on motion 10278, in the name of James Dornan, on Save the Hamden Roar campaign. The debate will be concluded without any questions being put, and I would ask those who wish to speak in the debate to press the request to speak buttons. I call on James Dornan to open the debate for around seven minutes, please. Presiding Officer, it gives me great pleasure to move this motion today. Before I start on what I'd like to say about the situation, I'd like to give a huge thanks to the following people. Jadol Brian, who is a Scottish football historian, and also was a man who opened the Scottish Football Museum at Hamden. Graham Brown, who leads Hamden first, is looking to get recognition for the very first Hamden of three stadiums, which is now the Hamden Bowling Club, Joan and Ally McHugh and the rest of all those who participate through Hamden Collection and Hamden Roar. I want to highlight the important issue in my constituency and its current situation regarding Hamden Park. The media has informed us that there is a possibility that the SFA will not renew its lease for cup games and international matches and leave for passengers new, although, to be fair, recent reports suggest that the deal is close, which will keep the SFA at Hamden. If so, we must ensure that the future of Queen's Park is assured. I would still like to place on record the serious and negative impact that it would have on the south side of Glasgow, in particular, if the SFA were to leave for Morayfield or elsewhere. Bruce Crawford, Mr Dornmell, will be aware that I am a car carrier member of the Tartan Army and have been for many, many years. I fully understand why he is involved in the campaign as a local constituency member. In terms of the SFA's future at Hamden, in what way will it benefit Hamden stadium for the SFA to buy it over and be owners of it in the future to improve what is already there? That is really what most people want to see from the Tartan Army perspective. That is a very good point. I have some doubts about the way that the SFA went about it. My hope and expectation, to be quite honest, is that if the SFA is getting Hamden for the song that they appear to be getting it for, that there is a commitment from them and others to redevelop over a period of time to make sure that they work with appropriate bodies to make sure that transport from the stadium is better than a lot of supporters are claiming. I cannot really say that I have that problem as I can walk from my house, so it is not a major issue for me. My constituency incorporates among other areas, Cathcart, Mt Florida, Battlefield, Langside and Newlands, and all of them would feel the economic impact if those changes were made. More than that, Hamden is part of the nation's psyche. It has been an integral part of day-to-day life for Scotland since its construction in 1903. It is more than a stadium. Some called Old Trafford, the theatre of dreams. For us, if we get the theatre of dreams, Hamden was a platform of hope, or for many football fans, deepest despair. The stadium is, though, the fflocrum of the history of Scottish football. My personal memories, my first memory of Hamden, is the 1961 Scottish Cup final, first leg, nothing each against in Firmland. We then beat in the replay, which I was kind of worried about. I hope that you are not gloating here, Minister. I would be very, very upset where Celtic got beaten in the replay, which I missed because I had homework to do. The 65-cup final, where we have got our revenge and beaten in Firmland 3-2, and Billy McNeill scored the famous goal. Scotland vs Czechoslovakia, where Tommy Hutchison scored with that magnificent header, to put us through the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Celtic vs Leeds, where there was 130,000 at the ground to see that magnificent 2-1 victory for Celtic, to get us into the final of the European Cup again. Hamden's world, old as continuously used international ground and became the template for all modern stadia that has followed it. There was three Hamdens, as I said before, settling on its current incarnation that had a peak that could hold 185,000 people. It is the structure that marks the epicenter of the footballing earthquake, which, according to Football Historian Geder Bryant, made Scotland the founders of world football. The history is fascinating. Many people will tell you that football was created by our neighbours down south. There is no doubt at all that the oldest football association was the English FA, established in 1863. However, it appears that the first club to play football was called, very aptly, the Football Club, and it had its first games in Dalrych Park. The first known football club in the world was, indeed, from Scotland. You might be surprised to hear that the first football act was enacted in this very Parliament, if not in this building. I was looking around to see if Stuart Stevenson was here, but in 1424, those two statements were not in any way connected. James I passed a law prohibiting football, or, as it was put in old Scots, of playing at the football. We wind the clock forward. I certainly will, John O'U. I thank the member very much for giving way, and he is looking backwards in the history. It is absolutely fascinating. I wonder whether, looking forward, some people would feel that to three major stadia in Glasgow is just too much, and it is a luxury that we cannot afford. How would you respond to that? James Dornan I would respond to that by saying that Glasgow has for a long time—this hasn't suddenly appeared out of the blue—with three major stadiums in Glasgow for longer than my life, and my life has been quite long so far. I really don't see that as being an issue, and I see it as being something that people who are trying to get hamden to be closed down or the SFA to move is using to hang the hat on it. In the summer of 1867, a group of men from the local YMCA were playing what they called football. Those men turned out to be Queen's Park football club. They were passing about a ball in an open park with a bundle of old clothes making the goals. 100 years later, kids like me were doing exactly the same thing, whilst 11 men from a radius of 30 miles from Hamden and Parkhead, to be fair, won the European Cup in Lisbon. The irony is that Queen's Park is so proud of what they have achieved. They hardly tell you about it. It is just part of their DNA. They believe that anyone could come up with it, and a quizmaster once said that it is only easy if you know the answer. They thought, why would not you pass around in opposition? Why would not you have tactics? Why would not you have half-time? Why would not you play 11 aside? Queen's Park run from Hamden, dominated the early game until the rest of the world copied and caught up. They were absolutely called the Scotch professors. They are the founders of the beautiful game that is currently enjoyed the world over. On 1872, the 30th of November 1872, which will ring a bell for many of you, the 30th of November, not 1872, the world's first international football match was played and it was between Scotland and England. Queen's Park played on behalf of Scotland. Coincidentally, that is another centenary celebration for another Glasgow club, one of those two that I have a stadium in Glasgow when Rangers beat by an American Barcelona 100 years later. Football is about histories and personal memories, and Hamden is a place where I have seen players the likes of which the world has never seen, Maradona, Pele, Zidane, Law, Cooper, Douglas, Larson. Those are only some of the greats that I have witnessed in my lifetime. However, there is hardly a family in Scotland who will not have some sort of memory of a game played in this wonderful stadium. Families huddled around TV, the country's eyes fixed on this national landmark, the teams lining up with Scottish Cups were won or lost, the national side seconds from making it to the World Cup, the Tartan army gathering in the stadium in 1978 to see off the Tartan army and the Allys army and the folks at home feeling the atmosphere from Hamden to every living room, the length and breadth of this country. That is why I am proud to be the voice of Keep Hamden Roaring in the chamber today and why we must keep Scottish football at its national home and that is Hamden. Thank you very much. We will move on to the open debate. We are really pushed for time, so I will have to insist that people do not go beyond four minutes. I call Kenneth Gibson, followed by Brian Gretel. First, I congratulate my colleague James Dornan on securing this debate. For many, including me, Handon Park is not just the home of Scottish football, but I shrine the scene of many fond memories of incredible club and international games, world-class athletics and iconic music performances. Looking back, I formally remember watching umpteen Scottish cup finals from Hearts vs Rangers in 1976 as a toddler to Celtic Motherwell in 2013, missing out only in the old-firm games in between and enjoying some incredible matches such as Motherwell beating Dundee in 1998 and 1991. Gretel has lost to Hearts on penalties in 2006 and, of course, my own team, St Myrn, defeating UEFA cup finalists and Perennial cup final brismades in 1998 and 1987. I remember even watching back in the midst of time a league cup match between John Mason's Clyde and Queens Park. Who can forget international matches such as Scotland vs England back in 1978, just before the World Cup in Argentina? Scotland attacked relentlessly for 90 minutes against a cat and accio minded England. Who, as I recall, crossed a halfway line only once and scored an absolute scandal? Or Scotland qualifying for the 1990 World Cup by beating France 2-0 fabulous night? Regardless of who wins is no denying the electrifying atmosphere at Hamden, even after the old count became all-seated. Hamden not only holds special importance for Scottish football fans but has attracted supporters from around the world as host of three European cup finals, two cup winners cup finals and a UEFA cup final. Hamden Park is not just a wall class stadium but a record-breaking one. On consecutive Saturdays in 1937, Hamden established two records that remain unsurpassed. On 17 April 1937, the first all-ticket Scotland match attracted 139,415 fans, including, I am told, a youngish Bruce Crawford, a British record for any match who witnessed Scotland's Skelp England 3-1. A week later, in the Scottish cup final crowd of 146,433, a European record for a club match crammed in to watch Celtic beat Aberdeen 2-1 while 20,000 supporters were locked outside. Another record was set at 1960 European cup final, which saw 127,621 spectators witness Los Blancos when their fifth European cup in a row 7-3 against Eintracht Frankfurt, the highest attendance at European cup final. Ten years later, James Don has already mentioned, 136,505 people saw Celtic beat lead 2-1, a record for a European cup semifinal crowd. Over the years, renowned musicians have chosen Hamden as a stop in their world tours, including Tina Turner, Bon Jovi, George Michael, Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, ACDC and Beyonce, and rumour has it that Jackie Baillie even saw Robbie Williams there, albeit as a guest of BT. To lose Hamden is unthinkable is a totem that benefits Glasgow's economy and standing. It would mean the loss of an iconic building. Envery is the largest in the world when the present site opened in 1903. Of course, there has been a legitimate criticism of Hamden's facilities. Upgrades could be made to enhance the safety and enjoyment of fans, however I believe that much of the criticism made of our national stadium is unjustified. In terms of alternatives to renewing the Scottish Football Association's lease, the only realistic options would be Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby, Ibrox or Celtic Park. However, neither of the latter two options would be reasonable, requiring the SFA to pay rangers or Celtic rent and thus offer a financial advantage to the two wealthiest clubs in Scotland, Rangers' recent history notwithstanding. The teamhouse at the stadium in question would know that a final or semi-final would likely be played at their own ground, offering an on-field advantage. The same issue does not arrive at Hamden. Queen's Park is an amateur team, gaining no sport and advantage for the income on the lease. A sacrilegious move to Murrayfield would make travelling more difficult for fans living in the west coast, such as my own Cunningham North constituency, and involve money previously invested in football going to rugby. That means that a fan ticket price would no longer trickle down to grassroots football or into funding Queen's Park, Scotland's oldest club and former footballing giants of the Victorian era who might not survive. For 115 years, Hamden has been at the heart of the Scottish game, the scene of good days and bad days for Scottish football, great games and big names, historic cup success and some magnificent finals. Hamden Park is a scene that we are proud of and its historic legacy must continue. I thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I add my congratulations to James Dornan for securing time on this chamber for this debate, and I really welcome the opportunity to contribute. As we have already heard, everyone has their own personal experiences of Hamden Park, and I am no exception. I have seen many Scotland matches there, cup finals, Olympic football matches, where I took my youngest to her first ever football match. I have even played volleyball on an inflatable volleyball court on the hallowed turf prior to the Scottish final in the late 80s as an apparent pre-match entertainment. I have to be honest with you, as a phrase, I thought that I would never say aloud. I have been to many concerts dating back to the late 80s when I saw the rolling stones from the terraces standing next to Billy Connolly no less at other concerts of ACDC a couple of times, Oasis, U2, Bon Jovi and Nickelback, who incidentally, I want to see tonight. I have a spare ticket if you fancy it, Mr Dornan. I was at every night of the athletics during the Commonwealth Games to witness the Hamden Commonwealth Roar, and I introduced my youngest and middle daughter to Usain Bolt in Hamden parking Glasgow no less. A list of special moments in Mr Dornan's motion conjures up many memories and emotions. I especially remember Zinedine's and Dan's winning goal in the Champions League final left foot on the volley, 18-yard box, top left corner. Surely I am not allowed to be that good. To me, it is tantamount to be cheating. Sport and music does that to us. It is not just about watching, it is about that well of shared emotion in a crowd. It is that feeling that we get when we witness something incredible. Life is shared by 40,000 plus others. Every time we see it, or remember it, those emotions rush back to greeters all over again. I have a great deal of sympathy for Mr Dornan's motion, and I find myself torn to a certain extent because I remember the debate prior to the refurbishment of Hamden park back in the day when the alternative was to build a new multi-purpose stadium out of Strathclyde park. From a practical perspective, it made a bit of sense that the transport network was made easier with nearby motorways, there was plenty of space for car parking, a stadium that could be used daily would be a much better use of public funds, the facility would be better to build modern standards and on and on and on, and that made absolute sense. But in the end, it was not Hamden park. The old stadium was refurbished into what we see today, and in it lies the dilemma. Sport is not just about practicality, as we have heard today. It is a deep-seated accompanying passion that bubbles along underneath. Do we look at the financial implications of shared facilities with Rugby at Murrayfield, which is a fantastic stadium? I love going there to see Rugby internationals, and my heart has played there for a while while it was being reworked. I have to say that Murrayfield is not Glasgow, and I am a west coastie, so I have to be able to say that. Do we move from a built-up and congested area, an area that if you were starting from scratch, you would never consider for an international stadium, or do we once again back nostalgia and history and emotion? Perhaps a younger generation would develop their own nostalgia no matter where the games are played, to be honest. I do not know, so, Deputy Presiding Officer, it is a head versus heart here, and I will watch this story develop and, as my opinion may be, it will take shape. I have to say that, when it comes to sport, I will always follow my heart. Willie Coffey, followed by Johann Lamont. Congratulations to my colleague James Dornan for bringing Hamden, the home of Scottish football, to the attention of the Parliament. Like other members, I want to look back at some key moments in its history that I had some involvement with myself and also to see if we can look forward to what a future Hamden might look like. My first recollection of going to Hamden was for the 1970s Scotland, England international, along with my brother Danny, to see Scotland and to see our own comarnat player, Billy Dixon, playing left-back. Alongside great players like Jinky Johnson and John Gregor Scotland and Gordon Banks and Bobby Moore for England. An incredible crowd of 137,000, which, when you think of it, is nearly three times the size of the current Hamden capacity, all basically in the same space as today. I can remember being squashed in like sardines, even though we were down at the front with our flask and our sandwiches. A clear penalty claim, not given for Scotland, and a 0-0 result meant that the honours were shared. Next up, 1976, St Etienne vs Bayern Munich, the European Cup final, and Glasgow becoming European for the days up to and after the game, taking full advantage of the more liberal, continental licensing laws that were denied as Scots at that time. Allie Leverre was the cry around Hamden as the Scottish reporters got behind the underdogs, alas to be dashed by the wonderful Gerd Muller, who scored the only game for Bayern. From that point on, I retained a fondness for St Etienne to this day, and I know that they brought the big square Hamden goalposts that denied them twice to that day. Lastly, in my reminiscences, the 2012 Scottish League Cup final between Comarnat and Celtic, a late Kelly winner, caused near hysteria of joy at the Kelly end. For all of us only moments later to be hammered by the sad news that Comarnat star Liam Kelly's dad had suffered a heart attack and later died after witnessing his son's finest achievement. Does all this stuff matter, Presiding Officer, in the debate? Well, I think it does. History and tradition are a crucial part of defining who we are as a football nation. We are collectively the sum of our parts and our past. You can sense that the Hamden tradition is very much alive when you go there to see the national team. The excitement of a Scottish Cup final is still as intense as it always has been, and that, in my view, is due to the sheer magic of Hamden on a cup final day. Is there a better stadium than Hamden for Scottish internationals in cup finals? I don't think so, but we shouldn't hold back in thinking what more we could be doing to the stadium to make it one of the best stadiums in the world fit for the 21st century. We certainly need better transport links for the fans, as James Donnell mentioned. Some stadiums have transport services right inside or alongside their grounds, and many have leisure and retail facilities embedded within the stadium complex, and some have magnificent overhead canopies that make the atmosphere even more electric. So why not Hamden? Hamden is still and always will be the one true home for the Tartan army. Long may it continue into this century and beyond, and congratulations again to James Donnell for supporting Hamden and bringing it to the attention of the Parliament. Can I congratulate James Donnell on securing this important debate to the evening times campaign and to all those who have supported it and have argued the case? I perhaps should start by declaring a personal interest. Given that my husband is Councillor Archie Graham, who represents the area in which Hamden is cited and has been vocally in his support for maintaining Hamden as the centre of Scottish football, I am not sure if I would be welcomed home if I did not take the opportunity to join with others in highlighting the importance of keeping Hamden raw. The case against Hamden, as far as I understand, focuses on the quality of the stadium itself for spectators, and some of that has been mentioned. I personally have had the privilege of watching many an exhilarating game in a fantastic atmosphere over the years, so I am not sure if I agree with the Naysayers. The first old-firm final that I attended in 1989, Joe Miller scored, and I discovered that it was possible to traverse 100 metres of the terrace and without your feet actually touching the ground. That resulted in my being probably the only person in the ground that hoped that there would not be another goal scored, but I have never forgotten the excitement of that. I recognise that there are concerns, but I do not believe that those concerns are grounds for the massive upheaval that is suggested. They are eminently fixable, and I trust that dialogue between the Scottish Government, the Glasgow City Council and the SFA can easily apply a resolution to those. In contrast, the case for staging at Hamden is overwhelming, in my view, on historical, emotional and economic grounds, and I would give a particular shout-out to Queen's Park football club, which I think has been unique in Scotland's footballing history. Hamden represents not just a football ground, it is the home of Scottish football, it is a place of past footballing glory, the Scottish Football Museum, based there is wonderful testimony to that. It is a football ground into which national funding and national pride have been invested, and those are significant. However, it is also a huge financial significance to the local area and to the broader Glasgow and Scottish economy. It is estimated that, in 2007, the UEFA Cup final brought £15 million into the city, and the Olympic matches that have already been referred to in 2012 are assessed as bringing in £7 million. I cannot overstate the impact on the local retail licensing and hospitality businesses of its existence. On local jobs, Hamden employs a lot of people, and many of them are local people who are doing a good job there. Hamden attracts football, as we have heard, concerts and conferences, and it is also an important part of Glasgow's success as one of the top sporting venues in the world. We cannot underestimate the importance of Hamden and sport to the broader tourism economy of Glasgow and the west of Scotland. In my arc view, there is sentiment, yes, there is history, yes, there is emotion, but there is also the direct impact on Glasgow. The SFA cannot make a short-term decision on what it perceives to be its narrow interest now, given the national interest and investment. The local community, Glasgow and Scotland deserve better than that, and I am sure that we can make the case that Hamden Roar continues because it stirs our emotions but also creates economic opportunity for our city. George Adam to be followed by Graham Simpson. I would like to take this opportunity to thank James Dornan for bringing this debate to the chamber. As a football fan, this is an important debate. There are many opinions in the debate regarding our national stadium, but for me, the most important thing is that our national sport should be played in our national stadium. I admit that my opinion on this issue is purely emotional. Is it the best stadium in Scotland? Probably not, but it is the area in community struggle during a full house. It can be challenging, but what a day out you get when you are there. All that misses the crucial point. It is the home of Scottish football, the home of Queen's Park, who were a giant in the pre-professional early days of football, and effectively invented what we know now as the modern passing game of football. For me, it is a place where I watched a young Diego Maradona at Hamden in 1979. It is where I watched St Murden winning the Scottish Cup in 1987 as a young man, and where we won the Scottish League Cup in 2013 as a not-so-young man. It is where every young football player dreams of playing, but most importantly, it is where our national team plays, and I love the place. Scotland Games for me and Stacey is a day out when we go to the south side of Glasgow and enjoy the full day out. I am lucky that my wife loves football from that perspective, and she cannot say that romance is dead because she enjoys it herself. However, the whole idea is that it says back to exactly what Johann Lamont was saying. We help the local economy during these days by going out there and spending the day out. It is also a place Hamden for me, as where I have watched my dad's previous apprentice armature winder, Archie Gemmell from Glenburne in Paisley, play, and I have to remember him from that fantastic go in 1978—it is the only part of 1978 that we all want to remember right enough. It was fantastic, but Queen's Park, as James Dornan says, created a beautiful game, and it is important that we remember that this is their home as well. However, you cannot give up this type of heritage. Personally, I know what that is like for a football team, because it is to move from your spiritual homes at one left love street in 2009. Our new home was fit for the 21st century, it was shiny, it was new, but it lacked the history, the passion for the place and the atmosphere. Only now, after a change of ownership and a lot of hard work from the younger fans, have those issues been addressed. The young men and women who have been involved in a lot of this call themselves in North Bank agro—not in an aggressive way, it is just a name they call themselves—many have never even been in the historic North Bank in Paisley. That shows you why history in football is such an important thing for everyone else. The international games home, we need to look at ways of making this magnificent old stadium better. We need to look at ways of making sure that we can make things easier for people to travel to and from the stadium itself, but we do not give up in the history that this stadium has. We cannot lose that passion. It is part of us and it is part of our nation's history, and we must ensure that that grand old stadium is part of Scotland's future. Graham Simpson, followed by Fulton MacGregor. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I also thank James Dornan for securing this debate, saving the Hamden raw. James Dornan debates always forced me to talk about football, so here we go again. The SFA does have a decision to make about where the national stadium will be after 2020. As a keen football fan and supporter of the newly crowned SPFL champions, I also have fond memories of Hamden and its raw, but I am talking about the Hamden that gave birth to the wall of noise before it was tamed by the refurbishment of the stadium back in the 1990s. As I was sitting down to write the speech, I took time to reflect on some of my own memorable moments of high drama in Mount Florida over the years. My first visit was as an 11-year-old when I was taken to the 1975 cup final between Celtic and Airdry Onions in Billy McNeill's last game, and there is the programme. Not only was there a sense of history, but the atmosphere to me anyway as a boy was incredible. Ten years after that, I was present at the Scotland-England match, which Scotland won 1-0. There is another programme. I have not, in general, got a great memory for goals or goal scorers, but I remember well Richard Goff soaring majestically to head past a static Peter Shilton, and Hamden did indeed raw. I watched highlights of that game at the weekend, and the noise, even through my computer, was incredible. We were in the stand for that one. My dad was not one for terracing, but once I had moved to Glasgow as an adult, I would usually opt for the standing option, even if it meant getting soaked sometimes. Walking down Aitkenhead road on match day back then, you felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up with the noise rolling down off the old terracing in anticipation of the duel ahead. Sadly times have changed and not, in my view, for the better. The new stadium is soulless. Fans are miles away from the action. The wall of noise is gone. If you are at the back, you would be better off watching at home, watching it on the telly. Sure, it has had its moments. Brian Whittle mentioned the Zinedine Zidango, and of course there were league-riffus two stunning free kicks against England last summer. Of course, there was the moment, Deputy Presiding Officer, when I took to the pitch in a five-a-side competition sharing it with one of my heroes, Danny McGrane. There was one of the finest moments. I do not get excited very often about going to games at Hamden. The SFA does have a tough decision to make, and it looks as though it is down to two choices—Hamden or Murrayfield. It is clearly being so cheery as it keeps you going, but can I ask you the fact that massive amounts of public money has already gone into Hamden? Does that not weigh heavily with you in terms of making a decision to move? I remind members to speak through the chair, please. I had not been to Murrayfield until Celtic played a couple of European games there. I was super impressed, and I remember coming out of the stadium and thinking that this should be the national stadium. I realised that I was out of step with everyone else in this debate. Today, the SRU made a pitch for football to move to Murrayfield. If you can put any anti-rugby bias aside, then surely having a national stadium in the capital does make some success. It is probably best that I sit down at this point, Deputy Presiding Officer. I hope that the SFA gets it right. The Hamden rule is a bit of a distant memory. Unfortunately, we will see what happens. You are a brave man, Mr Simpson. Col Fulton O'Gregor will be followed by James Kelly, and that will be the last two contributions in the open debate. In the chamber, apart from Graham Simpson's contribution, you have heard overwhelming support for keeping the home of football at hand and Al's support as well. However, in broader society, there is split opinion in my office manager, Alan Stubbs, who said that when I am doing this speech today, I had to mention him. We have had very robust conversations in the office about it, particularly when James Dornan's motion came along. I thank James for bringing this important issue to the chamber. The way that I see it is about history, it is about heritage, as others have mentioned. If we lose the home of football being at hand, then we will lose part of our national identity in the game. Whatever people's decisions or whatever people's thoughts on, the ranger situation, where the rights and wrongs of it is something that has been lost when the club moved down the divisions, I think, in terms of the game. I think that if we lost hand in the national stadium, I think that it could be very bad for the game overall. I also think about it as if, would there ever be a suggestion that the Parliament here should be moved to another city in the country, that Wembley should be moved to Birmingham or Newcastle? I think that there would be a big uproar in those things as well. George Adam talked about the situation at St Myrran, and that is a club that has turned itself around. There is no love lost between me and every football club being an Albin Rovers fan, but Airdrie, I come from the bit of Cope Ridge, which joins to Airdrie. Everybody knew that in March Airdrie was a very busy place. The stadium was always booming in the MDate supports clubs. I went to see them and they would know that when they were in the old Brimfield, when they moved to the new stadium, they did not manage to get that back. That sort of situation can happen. I agree with what Airdrie else is saying. We do not need to get rid of the stadium, get rid of the home of football, as Bruce Crawford and many others have mentioned it. It is about fixing what the issues are. The issues seem to be around transport. That is something that we can surely fix out by working with the council and the SFA. Inside the stadium as well, there is scope for refurbishment. I believe that accessibility for everybody acts as a supporter, as a player, and that is something that we are doing through the cross-party group. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the SFA for the great work that they are doing on the cross-party group and the members who are looking around the room that have come into the meeting. As others have done in Queen's Park, one of our oldest clubs, I should probably forget them now, since they did my own team Albin Rovers last week. On a serious note, I wish them well going forward. I think that they need to be taken into account here, because that would be a massive part of their heritage as well. If Queen's Park is lost, I should probably take the opportunity to say, unlock it in my own team Albin Rovers. We only spent one day on the bottom of the table, and that was the last day that we went down. There are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline. People know that Hamden is going to be hosting games at the European Championships in 2020. We are really looking forward to that. Hopefully, we will be there and we can go and support Scotland. However, if not, as others have said, they will be hosting games anyway. It will be an absolute brilliant thing for our country and the city as a whole. I will finish it up, Presiding Officer. I wasn't going to speak in this debate, but I have been tempted into it. I want to congratulate James Donan on securing the motion on the future of Hamden. I think that it is an important motion and it is an important debate. Everyone else has great memories of Hamden. I first attended a Scottish Cup semi-fine on April 1972 at Celtic Kilmarnock. I remember the excitement of going to the ground, the packed crowd, and the atmosphere. I remember that World Cup game that James Donan recalled in September 1973, when Scotland qualified for Munich and what a fantastic occasion it was. In terms of moving forward, if the choice on the tables between Hamden and Murrayfield is only one winner in that sense, it should be Hamden. Like Graham Simpson, I attended those games back in 2014. I was impressed with Murrayfield as a stadium, but I did actually think that they struggled transport-wise in terms of dealing with the volume of people coming through from Glasgow on both of those occasions. There are potential transport issues incidentally in Murrayfield, as well as the clear emotional attachment to Glasgow. However, there are serious issues to be addressed in relation to Hamden. I do not think that the current set-up at Hamden is, for purpose, a proper modern national stadium. If you look at the aerial shots of Hamden compared with the 1960 European Cup final between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt, a lot of the infrastructure is the same. The main stand for said outside is very similar. The terracing that was there in 1960, a lot of it remains, we are just the seats built on the top. I remember in the 70s, when I used to come to Hamden as a kid, we would get up to the top of the east terracing and it was really exciting. It was just part of the occasion that the team seemed so far away for the pitch. The only player that he could recognise was Jimmy Johnson, because he is blazing red here. However, the reality is now in terms of trying to attract people to a modern stadium. I do not think that that is good enough. I think that there is also a practical point. If we want to get back to those great, particularly those great Scotland World Cup occasions, I think that we need a stadium where everyone is much closer to the park. The problem with Hamden is that the athletics track around the edge and the seats, particularly at the front, are very low. If you sit there, you see a lot of legs running about in front of you and the back is too far away. There are real issues for the SFA going forward in terms of remodelling Hamden and making sure that we have a national stadium fit for purpose. I would also like to commend James Dornan for securing this debate. I know that it is a topic as a football fan and as the constituency MSP that he cares passionately about. Many of the contributions that we have heard today have highlighted the proud history of Hamden, the unique role that our national stadium has in Scottish and indeed world football. There are countless incredible moments that are now woven into the fabric of our game, cup finals, international goals, moments of drama, excitement, joy and, of course, as many have outlined, despair. There have also been memorable occasions that have resonated beyond our shores and many of them set out in James Dornan's motion. Including as Brian Whittle also spoke about Hamden witnessing one of the greatest cup final goals in 2002 when Zinedine Zidane scored that very unforgettable volley to win the Champions League for Real Madrid. In 2020 it will again host its first international tournament fixtures for the UEFA European Championships. Of course, all guests will receive a warm Scottish welcome, but the celebrated Hamden role will be all the louder if Scotland can be there at the men's team's first major final since 1998. I know that, despite some of the disagreements that we have had this afternoon, I am sure that that is something that we will all agree on. This afternoon, though, has reinforced that Hamden, the home of Queen's Park, holds a unique place in football. I join the members in celebrating that history. The stadium has played a crucial role in the success of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, which, unfortunately, meant that it missed out on the finest Scottish cup final, where St Johnston beat Dundee United. It has also hosted concerts by some of the biggest names in music. Kenny Gibson was revealing this afternoon that he was a bit of a Beyoncé fan—I am not sure if he mentioned that or not. However, as James Dornan and other members have highlighted, discussions about the future of Hamden are now under way. The SFA lease on the stadium comes to an end in 2020 after the European Championships, and the association has embarked on a process to consider where its Scottish cup and men's international should be played. The SPFL will also consider where its showpiece league cup fixture should be held. Of the options, it is initially considered a peripatetic solution involving Celtic Park or Ibrox, and, of course, Murrayfield was discounted, leaving two remaining anchor 10 options available, Hamden and Murrayfield. Two separate SFA work streams are now being considered in detail, exploring the pros and cons of each. We expect the SFA board to make a decision in principle later this summer. Although we are here this afternoon to discuss Hamden, I would like to briefly mention Murrayfield, because it too is an iconic stadium, a world-class venue, which has also hosted some of the most memorable moments of Scottish sporting history. It has also successfully hosted football matches, including Hart's fixtures, earlier this season. I know that the SRU has put forward a strong case for Murrayfield, which the SFA is now actively considering. We have been actively engaged on this issue with a range of stakeholders for around 18 months. However, we have emphasised at the outset to the SFA and to Queen's Park that our preference is for the decision to be a consensual one, one made and owned by football, with vision and ambition at its heart. In that, of course, we fully appreciate the significance of this decision to members, particularly Mr Dorn and others and football fans. It is a huge issue of symbolic importance to the nation, and we recognise the enormous challenges for the SFA reaching a decision on the issue as a motive and as a high profile. Of course, there have been a wide range of views expressed today. There was Graham Simpson and, of course, there was the rest, but we need to acknowledge that fans and the football family will also hold a range of views that may differ from those that we have heard this afternoon. Yes, Samden is a great venue, but there also remains, as others have outlined and acknowledged, concerns about the fan experience, particularly in the stands behind the goals and the transport difficulties. Members have underlined those concerns today. However, we know that the association is taking a robust and thorough approach to this decision, carefully considering all the factors that they navigate through all those views that are expressed. They continue to have our full support in working through the complex process that will allow them to make a final decision based on the best evidence that is available to them, including the financial dimension. It is also important to emphasise again the importance of the issue to Queen's Park, as James Dornan, Kenny Gibson, Fulton MacGregor and others have expressed, because it cannot be overstated. The Scottish Government recognises the pioneering role that Queen's Park has played in the development of the modern game, and the unique position that it holds as the sole amateur club in the professional leagues. Its contribution to Scottish football alone is enormous, from former players like Sir Alec Ferguson to Andy Robertson, who played in a Champions League semi-final last night for Liverpool. The future of Hamden is in the extricably linked with the future of Queen's Park, and the stadium holds a special place in the heart of the club. We know how important this is to the president, the board and everybody at Queen's Park including the fans. The club has agreed, in principle, to sell the stadium to the SFA, and I know that that is a huge step that the club has taken, not taken lightly, because we know how important the stadium is to them. I have set out the SFA process for reaching this crucial decision, and we have actively engaged throughout and will continue to do so. We recognise how important this is for the SFA for Queen's Park, for Glasgow for football fans, for the football family and, indeed, the whole of the country. Football is our national game and of enormous importance to all of us and our constituents and our communities. That is a difficult issue. I am aware, as all members are, that Scottish football faces many challenges on and off the park. However, it is also important to recognise the breadth and depth of the excellent work that is taking place in football, much of it going unrecognised. Just last week, Stuart McMillan and this Parliament hosted a reception to celebrate the work of the SFA and our cashback programme, inspiring young people and helping them to fulfil their potential. The SPFL trust and individual trusts and foundations associated with our clubs deliver incredible activity, complementing the work that is undertaken by clubs of all sizes in the parts of the country below the SPFL, who do so much good in their communities. It is also important to recognise that the number of girls and women playing football is also growing. The SFA is creating the world's first affiliated national association for para-football, which will ensure that people of all abilities can also fulfil their own potential. Members also mentioned this afternoon the fantastic work of the Football Museum, which is based at Hamden, and which we recently worked with on the excellent football memories dementia project. That project was recently celebrated in this Parliament with the acknowledgement of the publication of the book Mind the Time, which is an anthology of football poetry that was edited by Jim McIntosh, the poet and residence at St Johnston, and a celebration of fans and what football means to people and communities across the country. Although I know for Willie Coffey's purposes that he will have been happy that we sung Paper Roses in one of the chambers, which is of particular relevance to Kilmarnock. Today's debate, while focusing on the future of Hamden, gives us a chance to celebrate and reflect on all that is good in football, but it also gives us a chance to make sure that when we look to the future that we do so with ambition and with vision, we will continue to keep members updated as this vexed issue around the future of Hamden continues to be examined by the SFA. I thank again James Dornan for bringing this important issue for discussion this afternoon. That concludes the debate, and this meeting is suspended until half past 2.