Hampden Park - History of "The Hampden Roar" Hampden Park, Glasgow Renfrewshire Scotland
Hampden Park - History of "The Hampden Roar"
Published: 6th July 2010
The crowd who came to see football matches at Hampden were renowned for creating the Hampden Roar. The noise created was said to terrify opposing teams who came to play there. With capacity at the ground exceeding 100,000 from the early 1900s until the 1980s, the Roar could be heard several miles away from the stadium. In recent times the roar has said to be more muted, due to the modern capacity of the stadium being reduced.
It is speculated that the Hampden roar originated during the annual fixture against England in 1929, when Scotland, having played the whole of the second half with ten players, owing to an injury to Alex Jackson, equalised in the final minute with a goal scored by Alec Cheyne (Who played for Aberdeen FC at the time) direct from a corner kick. Over 110,000 spectators attended the match, and they began the roar as a way of inspiring Scotland to hold on until the final whistle.
The Hampden Roar is also used, colloquially, as a rhyming slang phrase. People (mainly in Glasgow and the west coast of Scotland) may ask "what's the Hampden Roar?" or "what's the Hampden?" meaning, "what's the score?" The phrase can also be used outwith footballing contexts.
The use of the Hampden Roar is also heard in the official Heart of Midlothian song, with the lyrics: "If I had the time I could name dozens more, who have helped in producing the old Hampden Roar."
