A series of special events are being held to mark the 150th anniversary of the first international football match, the founding of the Scottish FA and the first season of the Scottish Cup.
Monday 13 March 2023 12:14, UK
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell says Scottish football is doing "remarkably well" but admits it is "vitally important" to continue to grow and develop the game.
A series of special events are being held across the country to mark the 150th anniversary of the first international football match, the founding of the Scottish FA and the first season of the Scottish Cup.
It was formed during a meeting in Glasgow on March 13, 1873 and is the second-oldest national association in world football.
Maxwell hopes the anniversary celebrations will take the game in Scotland to another level.
"Scottish football is doing remarkably well," he told Sky Sports News. "When you look at the men's A squad we're in Nations League Group A, we're punching above our weight from that perspective.
"The women's national team are progressing really well having been to the World Cup in France and we want to see them back at major tournaments as soon as we can.
"The numbers in terms of registered players are increasing year-on-year, we've seen a significant upturn in registered players, particularly in the female game since Covid and that's vitally important to us as an association that we continue to develop and grow the game and ensure that participation opportunities are there for everyone that wants to."
As part of the year-long 150th celebrations, the SFA is now opening the archives of the Scottish Football Museum and sharing thousands of pages of historical records dating back to the earliest days of Scotland's national game.
Maxwell added: "Scotland is a football-mad country, we consume it at a level that won't be matched by many across Europe.
"I would urge any Scotland fan who can to come down to the museum and understand the part that Scotland has played because it has been pivotol when we look at the Scottish professors and the part that they've played in the establishment in the game and how we've helped develop that over the centuries."
Scotland are part of an ambitious joint bid with England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland to host Euro 2028.
Maxwell believes success would reap huge rewards.
"We saw the benefit that hosting Euro 2020 had, obviously we were participating which helps, and we would like to think that we can qualify for Euro 2028 and host," he said.
"The benefit for that for Scotland and the UK would be hugely significant in terms of that ongoing development of football."
It is also hoped that being a host nation would lead to the much called for redevelopment of Hampden Park.
The Scottish FA took ownership of the National Stadium in August 2020 after agreeing a £5m fee with Queens Park.
"We want to make Hampden as good as it can be," Maxwell said of the ground that has been hosting Scotland matches since 1906.
"There's no secret that to make significant change takes significant finance and that's a challenge.
"It would be a challenge that the Scottish FA would have to face into and see how we could manage those things.
"We want to supporter experience to be as good as it can be for anyone coming to the stadium.
"We've got football matches, we've got concerts, we've got a range of activity that happens here and it's about making it the most appropriate venue we can."
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