In Mount Florida, a south Glasgow neighbourhood, Scotland’s national football stadium, Hampden Park, looms large. But just half a mile north are the relics of another, with terraces and crush barriers surrounding a pitch that was once the heart of a 50,000-seat stadium known as “the second Hampden”.
At one time home to local teams Queen’s Park and Third Lanark – as well as hosting Scottish Cup finals in the late 19th century – the pitch is now part of Cathkin Park, a council-maintained public space enjoyed by local families, community football teams and urban wildlife alike. Leased since 2022 by the Jimmy Johnstone Academy, a charity set up in memory of the late Celtic player, it is also the home ground of two youth teams.
But a new barrier erected by the academy around the pitch is meeting opposition, with one local man attempting to challenge the city council in court over the legality of the fence, in a case believed to be one of the first of its kind in Scotland.
Greg Brown, who lives next to the park, said he had legal advice that the 3-metre high fence and locked gate are unlawful, and was taking an action for judicial review to the court of session.
Brown, who launched a petition this month which gathered more than 1,000 signatures in five days, said the decision represented “the privatisation [of] our local park”.
“Playing in a public park must remain free to all. I firmly believe that football should be for everyone, but this is the last grass pitch on public land in the south-east of Glasgow free for anyone to use,” Brown wrote on a crowdfunder for his legal costs.
“We’ve been sharing our park with the club for 15 years and will continue to – they don’t need a fence.”
The decision could also have implications for wildlife and Scotland’s right to roam, he said.
Although he is receiving pro-bono legal advice and representation from the Scottish firm R&R Urquhart, Brown risks having to pay the council’s costs if his challenge fails.
Among users of the pitch are the Cathkin Blazes, a beginner-friendly team for women and non-binary players established in 2021, in part to combat post-pandemic isolation.
“Our community football club started in Cathkin Park because it was a beautiful, functional, local space,” said player and club co-secretary, Catherine Holmes. “Our emphasis has always been on free and accessible football but there are very few suitable public spaces left in Glasgow. Like many in the community, we are absolutely gutted about fencing off such a historically significant and locally loved piece of land.”
Last weekend, a number of families held an “emergency picnic” in protest at the fence, decorating it with banners and signs. Further fundraising and campaigning is planned.
Glasgow City Council confirmed the fence had planning permission.
The academy did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment, but a spokesperson told local media the fence protects the pitch from vandalism and there was no desire to limit access more widely.
