The Scottish FA’s calendar of events to celebrate 150 years of the national game includes marking half-century since first women’s international against England.
A 150th Commemorative Crest has been unveiled alongside a new website – https://150.scottishfa.co.uk/ that will become a history portal celebrating 150 years of Scottish football. It is the first in a series of unique events and milestones including:
- Honouring the first-ever Scotland Women’s National Team at the forthcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup Play-Off against Austria at Hampden Park
- Commemorating the first-ever men’s international at the West of Scotland Cricket Ground
- The creation of an annual National Week of Football to promote the significance of Scottish football in communities across the country
- Digital transformation of the Scottish Football Museum in partnership with Google Arts & Culture
- An exciting heritage programme of exhibitions and events in partnership with the Scottish Football Museum
The first milestone marked by the Scottish FA is a series of events to commemorate the Scotland Women’s National Team’s first official match, held 50 years ago in Greenock on 18 November 1972 to take on England.
The Ravenscraig Pioneers will be honoured during the week of Scotland’s crucial Play-Off for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with a special reunion event. Around the Playoff the Icons Mural, an art installation featuring some of the most significant women’s football trailblazers on Hampden Park’s West Stand will be unveiled.
The players who took the field in Greenock will be guests of honour against Austria.
To mark the launch of the 150th celebrations, the Scottish FA have released a unique video recounting the history of Scottish football over the last 150 years.
The story was written by celebrated Edinburgh-based writer Daniel Gray with narration provided by the voices of Scottish football past and present, broadcasters Archie Macpherson and Eilidh Barbour.
The Scottish Football Museum based in Hampden Park will also host a special exhibition, ‘Milestones’, to tell the stories of the key moments in Scotland’s football history.
The exhibition includes mementos from the Ravenscraig Pioneers including a match programme and poster from the match.
Rod Petrie, Scottish FA President: “It is entirely appropriate that the celebrations kick-off by honouring the Ravenscraig Pioneers, whose determination 50 years ago set in motion a commitment and dedication to the women’s game which has culminated in the SWNT qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s EURO in recent years, with Pedro Martinez Losa’s team on the cusp of reaching a second Women’s World Cup.
“The National Week of Football will provide a centrepiece and legacy to the anniversary; an annual focal point for us all to celebrate the many and varied ways in which the power of Scottish football positively impacts on our country.”
