Latest news with #Hampden
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
‘Same incompetence every time' – Scotland fans left raging at ticket shambles that forces SFA to CANCEL all sales
The SFA have released a statement on the issue TICKET FARCE 'Same incompetence every time' – Scotland fans left raging at ticket shambles that forces SFA to CANCEL all sales SCOTLAND fans have been left fuming after a ticket cock-up saw all sales for the trip to Denmark CANCELLED. The SFA started to sell briefs for the World Cup qualifier away to the Danes on September 5 this morning. 2 Steve Clarke aims to lead Scotland to the World Cup Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 Scotland fans are not happy with ticket shambles Credit: Rex But hours later they informed all members of the Scotland Supporters Club who had managed to secure seats that their tickets were no longer valid. Hampden chiefs blamed a "technical error" that allowed fans who didn't have enough points to buy tickets in the sale that was meant to be restricted to those with between 32 and 21 points. An SFA message explaining the issue said: "The Scottish FA is aware of a technical error that occurred during this morning's ticket sale for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Denmark, which allowed purchase by some Scotland Supporters Club (SSC) members who were not eligible during the window that was reserved for those with 32-21 Points. "As a result, we will regrettably need to restart the sales process from scratch in the interest of fairness, with any purchase that was made today being cancelled and refunded. "The new sale will commence at 10am on Wednesday, 23 July. "The SFA would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused to supporters." The news angered many fans, with some complaining that the new sale time could mean they now miss out on a ticket. One fan said: "How hard is it for them to do the right thing first time. "They've had a week to set it up? And only have to do it 5 times a year... It's the same incompetence every time." Another fan said sarcastically: "Ahhh great! Working tomorrow afternoon when tickets go on sale to those on 20+ points and above which means it'll be harder for me to get my ticket. Cheers." Inside ex-Celtic and Scotland star's £3m property empire as free agent spends almost £1m on two properties in St Andrews While a third fan groaned: "This country cannot do anything right." The away trip to Denmark kicks off Scotland's World Cup qualifying campaign. Three days later Steve Clarke's men are on the road again when they face Belarus - with the game to be played in Hungary. They then have a home double header against Greece and Belarus on October 9 and 12. A trip to Greece is next on November 15 before the campaign ends at Hampden Park against the Danes on November 18. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Mikael Mandron inspired by 2013 League Cup winners as St Mirren aim for Hampden
The popular striker is off the mark for the new season as Saints bid for glory in the Premier Sports Cup. Mikael Mandron insists his Buddies would love to lead the black-and-white army back to Hampden. St Mirren have enjoyed their best spell in almost 40 years after racking up a hat-trick of top-six Premiership finishes and playing in Europe. But the one box to be ticked in this special chapter in the club's history is going to the national stadium in either the Premier Sports Cup or Scottish Cup. Saints are top of their League Cup section after two games thanks to Tuesday night's 2-1 win at Forfar Athletic. Goals from Jayden Richardson and Mikael Mandron proved to be enough in Angus despite a late Kieran Inglis strike. Saints lifted the League Cup back in 2013 after a thrilling 3-2 win over Hearts. That team is immortalised and Mandron believes it can motivate the current crop who want their own moment in the Hampden spotlight. 'Yes it is,' the 30-year-old said when asked if a good cup run culminating in a trip to Hampden was at the forefront of the players' minds this season. 'We talk about it every year. You want to do well in the cups but we haven't been able to do that in the last few years. We come into these games with high pressure and high expectation because we do want to do so well. 'It would be so good for the lads and the club to have a proper cup run and get to Hampden. Of course, the team that won the cup can inspire us. When you see pictures of success the club has had in past years, that is something to be inspired by. 'We have had relative success in the last few years in the league but it would be great to do it in the cup as well. I don't know if it is the one thing that is missing but it's something that would be great to add, for sure. 'It's really difficult to win trophies in football and that's why they are so special. When you see teams going far in cups and people winning trophies, it means so much. 'It might only happen once in a career. It's why we work so hard to give ourselves the best chance.' Mandron was delighted to open his account for the new campaign against the Loons – but he insisted it was never going to be a Station Park stroll. He added: 'These guys might be lower down the leagues but they are good players and they are playing for their lives. When you are a striker, you are always looking to score. The ball kind of bobbled in but I managed to keep it on target.'
The Herald Scotland
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
How Scottish football fans reacted to alcohol pilot scheme
Free to enjoy a pre-match beer on the concourse at Murrayfield, Anfield or Old Trafford, supping ale at Gayfield was forbidden until their local club were granted a licence to sell alcohol before Saturday's Premier Sports Cup win over St Mirren as part of a new pilot scheme. Roped off like the VIP area of a Soho nightclub, alcohol went on sale in a 'Madri fanzone' between 11am and 2.45pm, and post-match until 7.30pm. Restricted to home supporters, Arbroath's biggest fans were first in the queue for a pre-match pint as Cyndi Lauper boomed out over the sound system. Girls, it turned out, were not the only ones who wanted to have fun. To ensure no one got carried away, fans with entry tickets were restricted to four pints before the game and five in total – with half a dozen stewards in hi-vis jackets there to make sure no one enjoyed themselves a little too much. 'It's hugely important that nobody takes the mickey with this,' said Beattie, a senior finance manager in the area. 'We just have to enjoy it for what it is and keep calm. 'We have friends in England and every year we go down to see games in Manchester and Liverpool and have a drink. 'Up here we're not even allowed to have a drink on our football buses to Arbroath away games. 'This is an opportunity we've been waiting for for over 40 years so it has to be done right.' A consequence of the Hampden riot between fans of Celtic and Rangers at the 1980 Scottish Cup final, supporters have always been able to drink in the sanctuary of hospitality suites. A luxury restricted to those who can afford to pay, the ability of Murrayfield rugby fans and Hampden concert goers to drink freely inside both venues recently promoted St Johnstone owner Adam Webb to brand the treatment of Scottish football fans 'discriminatory' and 'offensive'. Innes – known to all and sundry as 'Fermer' – agrees, but understands why politicians remain nervous over the issue. 'You see rugby fans being able to have a drink and it feels discriminatory,' he said. 'The only point here is that we as football fans brought that upon ourselves. So now we have to put that right. Everybody has to be sensible, irrespective of the score. 'I'm 57 and I can't remember a day when you could have a drink outside in a Scottish stadium. 'We are local and it's a nice novelty to come and have a wee beer before the game. A Saturday out at the football is a big part of peoples' life. A couple of pints before the game and a couple of pints after it. That's it. 'The way Scottish football is now, every club wants a wee bit of money and this will enhance the matchday experience.' Arbroath fans as a ban on alcohol in Scottish football stadiums is lifted as part of a pilot scheme (Image: Sammy Turner - SNS Group) While their devotion to the Red Lichties is beyond question, the two men admit to some inner conflict. Directly facing Gayfield's Main Stand is the legendary Tuttie's Neuk Inn, the howff run by lifelong Arbroath fan Carol Shand and the meeting point for fans taking the bus to away games. Landlords of pubs such as Tuttie's stand to lose most from a relaxation on alcohol restrictions in football grounds. So close to the stadium that fans used to nip out for a half-time pint in days gone by, a smattering of travelling St Mirren fans continued to sip pints before their team lost a penalty shoot-out in the first weekend of Premier Sports Cup action. Read more: Stephen McGowan: Celtic are spending like a club in the throes of buyer's remorse Stephen McGowan: The national-team ticking time-bomb the SFA must do more to address While a sickness bug prevented Shand from airing her views on the pilot scheme, Arbroath chief executive Paul Reid offers an assurance that the club plan to work hand in hand with the local hostelries to ensure that takings don't take a major hit. 'As a community club it's important to us that we are not affecting the trade of the local pubs,' says Reid. 'They have been big supporters to us over the years and we have done this in conjunction with them. 'And if this was to be a permanent arrangement, we would probably look to do something with Tutties across the road to try and make sure we both benefit. All we want to do want is enhance the matchday experience.' A commercial executive with Dundee United for 22 years, Reid expects the impact of alcohol sales on Arbroath's revenue to be modest. Located yards from the North Sea, Gayfield is a venue where a ball kicked over the stand roof on a January day is likely to finish up in the Netherlands. 'Are people going to stand outside in January in the freezing cold of Gayfield having a pint? Probably not here,' Reid reasoned. 'Bigger clubs have indoor concourses where they can sell drink and we don't have that. 'But I have been in football since 1999 and one of the great taboo subjects has been getting drink back into Scottish football. 'We need to be given the opportunity to show that it can work and something that happened 40 years ago shouldn't determine whether people drink at football now. 'I think we need a chance to show that fans can be trusted and that we can do it in the right way. 'The clubs are all involved to make sure it's right and the fans will be on board as well because it is a privilege and we don't want it to be taken away. 'The SPFL have done a lot of work with the Scottish Government to allow us to host this pilot and we don't want to let Scottish football down. 'We know there will be a lot of scrutiny on all of the clubs doing this, be it us or Ross County, Ayr United or anyone. 'We just want to show that we have enough about us to offer fans a better matchday experience in a safe and controlled environment.' For Beattie and Innes the hope is that away fans travelling to low-risk games will be allowed to sup side by side with matchday rivals. Senior figures within the SPFL hope for a further relaxation of the rules after the Scottish Parliament elections next year, a scenario contingent on a successful pilot scheme. 'When we go to grounds like Morton or Airdrie where there are no pubs near the ground, it would be good to get in early and enjoy a beer and donate the money to the club,' reflects Beattie. 'At this level of football there's no aggro with away fans here. We get welcomed everywhere we go.' Where drink at football goes, debate usually follows. So it was for the first patrons of the Madri Fanzone. 'Drink will not make the game any better,' ponders Fermer. 'But it will make the atmosphere better.' Interjecting, Beattie contradicts his old pal. 'Let's not kid ourselves here. We watch Arbroath and it might actually make the game a good bit better…'
RNZ News
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
SH1 closed by crash near Moeraki Boulders
SH1 near the Moeraki Boulders (file photo). Photo: Google Maps State Highway One has been closed by a serious crash near the Moeraki Boulders, south of Hampden. Police said it was believed there were serious injuries after the two vehicle crash about 4.20pm on Sunday. The road has been closed while emergency services respond, and there are no alternative routes. Police have advised motorists to avoid any unnecessary travel.
The National
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Killie platform is great, but barriers are not just physical
Sometimes, when it comes to improving disabled access to football, there is more to it than meets the eye. And when massive steps forward are made in one area, they can sometimes be accompanied by a lack of progress, or a step backwards in others. Take the raised platform that Kilmarnock have built in the Moffat Stand for their home supporters, for instance. For Killie fans like Laurie Finlayson, it has been a transformational addition to his experience of going to Rugby Park. "Absolutely, it has,' Finlayson said. 'I mean, it's a completely different experience from before the platform was actually installed. 'If I'm being really picky, I would have preferred the platform to be a wee bit higher up, but when you look at it, you are sitting at a reasonable height. You feel you're as high as everyone else and most importantly, you are in amongst the crowd. That's one of the biggest things, because in many disabled sections up and down the country, you do feel quite segregated. 'It has definitely lived up to the expectations and I'm obviously so grateful to the club and everyone who contributed for getting it done. (Image: Laurie Finlayson) 'I think over and above the physical facilities though, there has to be a commitment from all clubs just to make it a more inclusive experience, you know? It's not just about, 'We are in the stand, so that's great.' That is fantastic, don't get me wrong, and you've got that at Killie, you're part of the crowd. 'But it's also the whole match day experience.' What Finlayson is referring to are the issues that may not be immediately apparent to those who are fortunate enough to be able to do something as simple as buying their tickets for the match online, or even pay for them on the day with their bank card. 'Buying tickets is a great example,' he said. 'Very often, you can't buy tickets online, or you can't pay with your card. 'This isn't me having a go at Killie here or any other club, but just as an example, when I bought my season ticket this summer the options were to either pay in cash or by cheque. 'That isn't exclusive to Kilmarnock in any way, but it just sort of shows that when it comes to dealing with disabled supporters, a lot of these things are kind of stuck behind the times. Read more: 'At away games, you have to phone ahead, you have to email ahead, and a lot of the time, you have to go and lift cash. It just leads to an inconsistency of service and adds another level of stress for disabled supporters.' (Image: Laurie Finlayson) Finlayson is generally positive though when it comes to the direction of travel across Scottish football when it comes to helping disabled fans have a more 'normal' experience, and he had praise for the addition of a raised platform in Hampden's North Stand, not only because of the standard of the facility, but because the national stadium now offers something that disabled fans are usually denied – choice. "One thing I would love is if you could choose where to sit,' he said. 'That is so important as well. I love to be able to sit in the new platform in the Moffat Stand, but say, for example, if you wanted to be over where the atmosphere is in the East Stand or whatever, you can't do it. 'That's why it was really a good thing for me when they built the raised platform at the back of the North Stand at Hampden. 'What they used to do was put you at the bottom of the South Stand, but in the North Stand now there's a really good, raised section where you are amongst the crowd, people can come and talk to you and catch up and whatever, just as anyone else would in the stand. And that is incredibly important. "As a disabled fan, I just wish they would shout about it a bit more. It is incredible, and for a while, I didn't know anything about it. 'What happened was we were going to the Poland game and my uncle was sitting in the North Stand, so I just asked, 'Can I sit in the North Stand so we can be in the same end?' 'At no point was I told what that area was like. I assumed it was just on a bit of concrete on the side of the stand, and I was just on the periphery, I didn't think it for a minute it would be what it was. 'But when I sat there, it's practically on halfway, the atmosphere was great. It's absolutely fantastic. 'We need to shout about these things and show when good work is being done.'
