Hampden Collection
banner
hampdencollection.bsky.social
Hampden Collection
@hampdencollection.bsky.social
Football, Culture, Arts, Research, Events.

See your world of football culture here..
www.hampdencollection.com.

We are part of the Footballssquaremile.com (FSM) team. In fact, we are Miller to McLeish of the FSM. Your Admin is an @afc.co.uk fan! 😂
A brilliant day at First Hampden for @hugemcm.bsky.social creative writing workshop—words inspired by the ground where legends once ran. See www.footballsquaremile.com

Writing and football: our national arts, come together to celebrate friendship, creativity & community for #bookweekscotland
November 21, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Our first #BookWeekScotland fixture kicked off at the original Hampden Park, where poet Donna Matthew coached Holyrood Secondary students into top writing form.

This creative squad proved that stories, like friendship and football, bring us together in the heart of www.footballssquaremile.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:12 PM
@hugemcm.bsky.social, our HC Curator, latest pick for the World Home of Football Poetry is this moving commentary by Gayle Smith on the death of the legendary Jock Stein on the 10th September at Cardiff Arms Park, ...
September 17, 2025 at 8:14 AM
1/3 The latest poem selected by @hugemcm.bsky.social for the World Home of Football Poetry is 'Sam's Finest Hour' by Ian Goudie aka The Killie Poet. Hugh Says ‘In this powerful poem Ian Goudie delves back into the days of Lugar Boswell and Killie’s fantastic cup victory of 1929 over Rangers...
June 20, 2025 at 7:17 AM
The latest poem selected by @hugemcm.bsky.social , our HC Curator, for the World Home of Poetry is 'Changing Times' by John Daly. Hugh says...
May 30, 2025 at 11:43 AM
@hugemcm.bsky.social , our HC Curator, adds 'Cathkin Park' by Calum Ewen to the World Home of Football Poetry.

Hugh says ‘Football grounds and the ghosts of football grounds and the ghosts of the folk who stood there with their coats drawn up against the rain or sleet. Cathkin Park...
May 28, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Our HC curator, @hugemcm.bsky.social with his Renga update...

“I’m a Bear with some flair,
not a Hun in the sun”

Rare poetic genius from a gentleman I was sitting with on Sunday outside the pub in George Square.
May 13, 2025 at 11:47 AM
A must see event... Celebrating Scottish Women’s Football... get yourself along to the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh on Thursday, 22 May @ 17.30...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebratin...
Celebrating Scottish women’s football
Join Fiona Skillen, Karen Fraser and Julie McNeil as they discuss their latest book, ‘A most unsuitable game’.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
May 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM
@hugemcm.bsky.social , our HC curator, has chosen 'Scotty' by Dave Mckay to be placed in the one and only 'World Home of Football Poetry'. Here's Hugh joining in with Dave on their love of Hibs and Hibs Players...
May 7, 2025 at 9:44 AM
Following on last year’s attempt to predict the Scottish cup results by the quality of the poems the supporters wrote, we Introduce the 2025 Scottish Cup Final Renga! @afc.co.uk @celticfc.bsky.social @scottishfa.bsky.social @scottishcup.bsky.social
April 30, 2025 at 12:14 PM
1/3 @hugemcm.bsky.social, Our HC Curator describes the latest poem to enter the world home of football poetry as 'sheer mad genuis'. What a brilliant accolade for Stuart Irving and his poem 'Del's Barbarcue'. Read on for @hugemcm.bsky.social's review of Stuart's poem...
April 24, 2025 at 8:57 PM
1/2 A new addition to our world home of football poetry (hampdencollection.com/the-world-ho...) is 'Modern Day Football' by Stuart Irving.

@hugemcm.bsky.social, our HC Curator says...'Here's to the nostalgia lovers,...
World Home of Football Poetry
The Hampden Collection created its poetry section on 26th March 2018. The curators of the collection have been Stephen Watt (2018), Jim Mackintosh (2019), Julie McNeill (2021) and our current curat…
hampdencollection.com
March 5, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by Hampden Collection
John McIntosh wrote this cracking piece in @bellacaledonia.bsky.social
about A Most Unsuitable Game

‘It is more than a football book. It is about Scotland, and Scottishness, and women, and their struggle to overcome centuries of prejudice and discrimination’

bellacaledonia.org.uk/2024/10/14/c...
January 9, 2025 at 9:10 PM
1/3 @hugemcm.bsky.social has selected 'The only team in the bible' by Colin Rutherford to join our poetry collection.

Hugh says 'Until such times as someone calls a football team ‘Love your Enemies Athletic’, Queen of the South will remain the only team in the bible.
January 3, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Today (30 Dec), the Hampden Collection is 7! Thank you to the poets for the 7 days of fantastic football poetry to build up to our birthday announcement... hampdencollection.com/announcements/
Announcements
Track our announcements on our various projects, events and exciting contributions to protecting and preserving Scotland’s Footballing History. Our cart-upending story is laid out below. The …
hampdencollection.com
December 30, 2024 at 6:51 AM
We are honoured to welcome Scotland’s new Makar Peter MacKay to round off seven special days celebrating the anniversary of our Hampden collection. Peter is the captain of the Scottish Writers’ football team and a long time player and admirer of the game.
December 29, 2024 at 8:35 AM
The penultimate poem celebrating the seventh anniversary of the Hampden Collection is by Gabrielle Barnby our #Brawwords Makar. Here she compares the patterns, weft and weave of knitting with the artistry of the game.
December 28, 2024 at 10:09 AM
The fifth poem celebrating seven years of the Hampden collection is by Donna Matthew’s, the Makar of our SWNT poets society with her poem ‘Houston Girls’, written for her niece to demonstrate to her and everyone else that girls can achieve anything.
December 27, 2024 at 8:15 AM
The fourth poem highlighting the seventh anniversary of the Hampden Collection is by the current Hampden Collection curator @hugemcm.bsky.social , where he contemplates the ghosts of long gone supporters gathered still in the ghost of Cathkin Park.
December 26, 2024 at 8:41 AM
The third poem marking seven years of the Hampden Collection is by the third Makar and current Gaffer @juliemcneillwrites.bsky.social , whose brilliant book ‘We are Scottish Football’ ( @luathpress.bsky.social ) has been a best seller this year. Here is the stirring title poem.
Our Special Poetry Collections
7 Days (years) of the Hampden Collection and The Seven poetry Videos of Christmas … To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Hampden Collection and to shine a light on the brilliant poetry tha…
hampdencollection.com
December 24, 2024 at 7:14 AM
The second video celebrating seven great years of the Hampden Collection is by the collection’s second Makar, Jim Mackintosh. Here is the moody and melodious ‘Grass Prisms’.

See Jim's video and all our poetry @

hampdencollection.com/ourspecialpo...
Our Special Poetry Collections
7 Days (years) of the Hampden Collection and The Seven poetry Videos of Christmas … To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Hampden Collection and to shine a light on the brilliant poetry tha…
hampdencollection.com
December 23, 2024 at 7:42 AM
To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Hampden Collection and to shine a light on the brilliant poetry that you keep sending in expressing your love of football and community, we have a special treat!
Our Special Poetry Collections
7 Days (years) of the Hampden Collection and The Seven poetry Videos of Christmas … To celebrate the 7th anniversary of the Hampden Collection and to shine a light on the brilliant poetry tha…
hampdencollection.com
December 22, 2024 at 10:16 AM
Gabrielle Barnby, our #brawwords Curator, selects poems by Jasper and Zoohan to join our young poets team @ hampdencollection.com/braw-words/ Gaby describes Jasper's poem as 'brilliant, punchy rhythm' and says Zoohan's is 'utterly tremendous - it rhymes better than anything I can muster!'
December 20, 2024 at 10:13 AM
Today, our makar Donna Matthew chooses a poem by Aengus O'Dagda, which highlights all our respect and pride for Clare Emslie.

Aengus says

'We have nothing but respect
for you for trying, for wearing
our colours with pride'

See all our poems @
hampdencollection.com/swntpoetssoc...
December 6, 2024 at 10:23 AM
Its a big day for @scotlandnational.bsky.social , as we take on Finland for a place in #WEURO2025. Our Makar, Donna Matthew provides us with the perfect pre-match build up, with this fantastic football poem inspired by her niece.

Check it out here...

hampdencollection.com/swntpoetssoc...

#SWNT
SWNT Poets Society
SWNT Poets Society was launched on 31 May 2019 to encourage the nation ‘to put pen to paper’ on what the Scottish Women’s National Football Team’s achievements mean to them. This innovat…
hampdencollection.com
December 3, 2024 at 10:43 AM