Cathkin Park was a football ground in Crosshill, Glasgow, that served as home to Third Lanark A.C. from 1903 until the club’s collapse in 1967. Rebuilt in 1904 on the site of the former second Hampden Park, the stadium could accommodate around 50,000 spectators and set a record attendance of 51,518.
Before Third Lanark arrived, the ground served as Glasgow’s premier stadium under the Hampden Park name, staging seven Scottish Cup finals between 1885 and 1899 and nine Scotland international fixtures. Third Lanark’s final senior match on 25 April 1967 — a 3–3 draw with Queen of the South before only 325 spectators — ended over 80 years of top-level football on the site. In September 2025, Historic Environment Scotland designated Cathkin Park a scheduled monument, recognising it as one of Scotland’s nationally important historic assets.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Third Lanark A.C. (1903–1967); Queen’s Park F.C. (1884–1903)
- Location: Crosshill, Glasgow, Scotland
- Opened: 1884 (as second Hampden Park); rebuilt 1904
- Closed: 1967
- Capacity: ~50,000
- Record Attendance: 51,518
- Scottish Cup Finals Hosted: 7 (1885–1899)
From Hampden Park to New Cathkin
The land first gained prominence as the second Hampden Park, Queen’s Park’s home from 1884. It functioned as Scotland’s de facto national stadium for nearly two decades, hosting nine international fixtures and seven Scottish Cup finals. When Queen’s Park relocated to the current Hampden Park in 1903, Third Lanark — a founding member of the Scottish Football League — took over the lease and had the site entirely rebuilt, reopening it as New Cathkin Park in 1904.
Under Third Lanark, the ground witnessed some of the club’s finest achievements, including a Scottish First Division championship in the 1903–04 season and a Scottish Cup victory in 1905. The natural slope of the site gave the terracing a distinctive crescent silhouette that helped funnel crowds of over 50,000 for derby fixtures against Rangers and Celtic.
Abandonment and Legacy
Third Lanark folded in 1967 following years of mismanagement, and Cathkin Park fell into disuse almost overnight. Proposals to sell the land to property developers were blocked when the site was designated for recreational use, and Glasgow City Council assumed control, maintaining it as a public park where amateur football continued to be played on the surviving pitch.
The earthwork terracing embankments, still partially visible decades after the last professional match, earned the ground a devoted following among football historians and urban explorers drawn by its time-capsule atmosphere. In September 2025, Historic Environment Scotland formally designated Cathkin Park a scheduled monument — a separate and distinct protection from the scheduled monument designation awarded the following year to the buried remains of First Hampden pavilion — giving Cathkin Park legal recognition as a nationally important historic site.
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Cathkin Park FAQs
Which football clubs played at Cathkin Park?
Queen’s Park F.C. used the ground from 1884 to 1903 under the name second Hampden Park. Third Lanark A.C. then occupied it from 1903 until the club was wound up in 1967.
Why did Third Lanark leave Cathkin Park?
Third Lanark did not leave voluntarily. The club was dissolved in 1967 following prolonged financial mismanagement. Their last competitive home match drew only 325 spectators — a 3–3 draw with Queen of the South on 25 April 1967.
Can you visit Cathkin Park today?
Yes. The site is a public park maintained by Glasgow City Council. The playing surface remains usable for amateur football, and the remains of the old terracing embankments are still visible. In September 2025, Historic Environment Scotland designated it a scheduled monument, giving the site formal legal protection as a nationally important historic asset.
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Photo: Celticfcuk (talk) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.