Stirling sports heritage experts to measure success of national football celebration

Sports heritage experts at the University of Stirling have been appointed to evaluate a major celebration of football in Scotland.

Professor of Media Sport, Richard Haynes, and researcher Dr Karen Fraser will measure the success of the Scottish Football Museum’s “Football for All! Celebrating 600 years of football in Scotland”. 

The three-year project, which kicked off on the 15 August and will run until 2025, is marking significant milestones in the history of the game, including the 150th anniversaries of the first men’s international football match, the formation of the Scottish FA and the 50th anniversaries of the formation of the Scottish Women’s Football Association and first women’s international football match.

Professor Haynes said: “We are delighted to be chosen to evaluate such an important national programme celebrating Scotland’s football heritage. The Scottish Football Museum are the conservators and curators of the rich history of football in Scotland, and the “Football for All!” programme of activities will open up new points of public engagement and digital interaction with the heritage of our national game. 

“We are looking forward to monitoring the multiple outputs being produced over the three-year lifespan of the project, and shall be assessing their outcomes for key stakeholders, community groups and the wider public.”

The Scottish Football Museum has planned a diverse range of activities to celebrate these landmark events and engage with audiences across Scotland and internationally, including:

• Scottish Football legends activity packs, providing reminiscence football cards to more than 470 Scottish Memories groups across the country
• The launch of a digital archive on 150 years of Scottish football
• Scottish Cup Gallery and workshop, to mark 150 years of the Scottish Cup – the oldest trophy worldwide for the code of Association football
• Photo exhibition on black and ethnic minority players and associated workshop

Robert Craig as Chair of the Scottish Football Museum, said: “The Museum is delighted to be working with Stirling University on the evaluation of this important project showcasing 600 years of Scottish football.”

Professor Haynes and Dr Fraser will measure the impact of each of the seven strands of the project and provide an end of project report on the project’s success.

“Football for All! Celebrating 600 years of football in Scotland” is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland.

About the researchers

Professor Richard Haynes has been researching sporting heritage in Scotland for the past decade, collaborating with the museum and heritage sector, governing bodies of sport, schools and community groups. He previously produced a series of exhibitions for Team Scotland, including “Walking in the Footsteps of Heroes” for Scotland House at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, as well as the online exhibition “Fae Raploch to Elland Road: Remembering Billy Bremner” funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, both in 2022. He is leading the evaluation.

Dr Karen Fraser completed her PhD on the modern history of women’s football in Scotland in 2021, funded by the University of Stirling’s Impact Studentship scheme. She is one of Scotland’s leading scholars on the history of women’s football and is a regular contributor to radio programmes, television documentaries and exhibitions related to the women’s game. She is the main researcher on the evaluation.