View source for Firhill Stadium

{{Short description|Football stadium in Glasgow, Scotland}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox venue
| nickname = 
| native_name = Wyre Stadium at Firhill
| image             = Firhill2023.jpg
| image_size = 250px 
| pushpin_map      = Scotland Glasgow
| pushpin_mapsize  = 250
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Glasgow
| pushpin_label_position = left
|coordinates       = {{coord|55|52|53|N|4|16|10|W|type:landmark_region:GB-GLG|display=inline,title}}
| location          = [[Glasgow]], Scotland
| opened            = 1909
| owner             = [[Partick Thistle F.C.]]
| surface           = [[Lawn|Grass]]
| dimensions        = 105m x 69m (pitch)<ref name="capacity"/> 
| tenants           = {{infobox stadium/tenantlist
| tenant_clubs = [[Partick Thistle F.C.]]<br />[[Clyde F.C.]]<br />[[Hamilton Academical F.C.]]<br />[[Queen's Park F.C.]]<br />[[Glasgow Warriors]]
| tenant_years = 1909–present<br />1986–1991<br />1994–1997, 1999–2001<br />2021–2022 <br />2005–2006, 2007–2012}}
| seating_capacity  = {{SPFL-stadiums|partick}}<ref name="capacity"/>
}}

'''Firhill Stadium''', also known as '''Wyre Stadium at Firhill''' for sponsorship reasons,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cassidy |first1=Peter |title=Partick Thistle stadium renamed as Wyre Stadium at Firhill |url=https://news.stv.tv/sport/partick-thistle-stadium-to-renamed-as-wyre-stadium-at-firhill-for-next-three-years |website=STV News |publisher=STV |access-date=28 June 2023 |date=26 June 2023}}</ref> is a [[Association football|football]] and former [[rugby union]], [[rugby league]] and [[Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom|greyhound racing]] stadium located in the [[Maryhill]] area of [[Glasgow]], Scotland which has been the home of [[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]] since 1909.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44097532 |title=Scottish Premiership - Play-off Final - 2nd Leg |work=BBC Sport |date=20 May 2018 |access-date=20 May 2018}}</ref>

Past ground-sharing agreements have seen Firhill act as a temporary home for three other football clubs: [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]], [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] and [[Queen's Park F.C.|Queen's Park]].  It was also a venue for the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup]] and the [[Glasgow Warriors]] rugby union team between 2007 and 2012. {{As of|2014}}, the all-seated capacity of Firhill is {{SPFL-stadiums|partick}}.<ref name="capacity"/>

==History==
[[Partick Thistle F.C.|Partick Thistle]] played at various sites between 1876 and 1891, including Kelvingrove, Jordanvale Park and Muir Park.<ref name = "inglis459">{{harvnb|Inglis|1996|p=459}}</ref> The club settled at [[Meadowside]], beside the [[River Clyde]], in 1891.<ref name = "inglis459"/> They were forced out of this site in 1908, however, to make way for a shipyard.<ref name = "inglis459"/> The club found some spare [[Caledonian Railway]] land in Maryhill, the site was purchased by the club for £5,500, and construction started soon after.<ref name = "inglis459"/> The ground was due to open on 21 August 1909, but the match was postponed because it had not been declared safe for public use and planning consent had not been obtained.<ref name = "inglis459"/> Firhill opened a month later.
 
The record attendance for a Partick Thistle game at Firhill was set against [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] in 1922, when 49,838 people attended.<ref name = "sfgg"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UZdAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4213%2C5978461 |title=Association Football. A Firhill record |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=20 February 1922 |page=12 |access-date=25 October 2017}}</ref> The present main stand was constructed in 1927, at which time the terraces were expanded.<ref name = "inglis459"/> Although the main stand resembles an [[Archibald Leitch]] design, it was in fact designed by David Mills Duncan, who had previously worked for Leitch.<ref name = "inglis459"/> The stadium's attendance record was set by the [[1928 British Home Championship]] match between [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] and [[Ireland national football team (1882&ndash;1950)|Ireland]], when 54,728 people attended.<ref name = "inglis459"/><ref>[https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1928/1928022501.htm Scotland Beaten At Firhill.] The Scotsman, 27 February 1928, scan via London Hearts Supporters Club</ref>

[[File:FullTimeFirhill.jpg|270px|thumb|right|Fans leaving the stadium after an evening match in 2019.]]
There were no further improvements until the early 1950s, when Thistle had a relatively successful period.<ref name = "inglis459"/> This success financed a roof over part of the terracing and floodlights, which were first used in a [[friendly match]] against [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] in November 1955.<ref name = "inglis459"/> Firhill hosted the first [[European Cup]] match ever to be played in Glasgow, when Swedish club [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgården]] played their "home" leg against [[Hibernian F.C.|Hibernian]] in the [[1955–56 European Cup|1955–56 season]] in the city as a result of the freezing conditions in Sweden at the time of the match.

Firhill became designated under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act in 1977, which reduced its capacity from over 40,000 to 20,500.<ref name = "inglis459"/> In 1986, Firhill became the first Scottish ground in modern times to be used by more than one team, when [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]] moved in after being evicted from [[Shawfield Stadium|Shawfield]].<ref name = "inglis459"/> This arrangement lasted until 1991.<ref name = "inglis459"/> [[Hamilton Academical F.C.|Hamilton Academical]] then shared Firhill with Thistle in two different spells, the first arrangement beginning in 1994.<ref name = "inglis459"/> To cope with the resulting additional usage, undersoil heating was installed in 1994.<ref name = "inglis459"/>

The North Stand was built in 2002 to meet the [[Scottish Premier League]] criteria on stadium capacity, which stated at the time that member clubs must have 10,000 seats in their ground. Ironically this criterion was later changed to only 6,000 seats, which not only allowed for the relegation of Partick Thistle, but meant they had constructed a stand which cost the club unnecessarily. Originally, the stand only ran for two-thirds the length of the pitch, but it was extended in 2003. The construction of this stand was assisted by the sale of some land to allow the construction of student flats which now lie behind the stand.<ref>{{cite news|title=Green light for Firhill revamp|date=30 May 2001 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/partick_thistle/1360301.stm|publisher=BBC|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref><ref>[https://canmore.org.uk/site/295585/glasgow-firhilll-firhill-court Glasgow, Firhilll, Firhill Court], [[Canmore (database)|Canmore]]</ref>

==Structure and facilities==
[[File:Firhill 4.jpg|thumb|The [[John Lambie (footballer, born 1940)|John Lambie]] (north) Stand|right]] [[File:Firhill Seating Plan.jpg|thumbnail|left]]
The modern stadium comprises three seated stands, with an unused area at the south end. The current capacity of the ground includes {{SPFL-stadiums|partick}}<ref name="capacity">{{cite web |url=http://spfl.co.uk/clubs/partick/ |title=Partick Thistle Football Club |publisher=Scottish Professional Football League |access-date=30 September 2013 |archive-date=6 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506192335/http://spfl.co.uk/clubs/partick/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> seats with no standing areas available. The Main Stand was built with an original capacity of 6,000 seats, however in recent times the capacity has been reduced.  In January 2006, the club announced that the Main Stand would no longer be used on matchdays due to high maintenance and stewarding costs. There were exceptions to this, such as a [[Scottish Cup]] match against [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] and for Glasgow Warriors matches against [[Edinburgh rugby|Edinburgh]]. When Thistle achieved promotion to the [[Scottish Premiership]] in 2013, the Main Stand was reopened to house away supporters, and is used by away fans of more than 500. The Main Stand was renamed the Colin Weir Stand in 2016 in tribute to the club's first ever patron.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14516236.Main_Stand_at_Firhill_to_be_renamed_in_honour_of_Partick_Thistle_supporter/ |title=Main Stand at Firhill to be renamed in honour of Partick Thistle supporter |first=Catriona |last=Stewart |work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref>
[[File:Firhill at night.jpg|thumbnail|right|The Colin Weir (main) Stand]]

Home fans now occupy the stand opposite the old stand, the Jackie Husband Stand; the north end of this stand is also host to away fans numbering less than 500. The stand is a large [[cantilever]] building, and was constructed in December 1994 with a capacity of 6,263 and is named after former Thistle player [[Jackie Husband]].

The newest stand is the John Lambie Stand, at the north end of the ground. This was built in 2002 to replace the old terracing, in order to comply with [[Scottish Premier League|SPL]] standards. This has a capacity of 2,014, houses Thistle's singing section<ref>{{cite web|title=Statement re Segregation Next Season|url=http://ptfc.co.uk/news/2013-2014/june_2013/statement_re_segregation_next_season|website=ptfc.co.uk|publisher=Partick Thistle Football Club|access-date=8 November 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108134604/http://ptfc.co.uk/news/2013-2014/june_2013/statement_re_segregation_next_season|archive-date=8 November 2014}}</ref> and was named after former Thistle manager [[John Lambie (footballer, born 1940)|John Lambie]] in April 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43823724 |title=John Lambie: Partick Thistle's North Stand renamed after late former manager |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=19 April 2018 |access-date=19 April 2018}}</ref>

==Future developments==
In 2010, Thistle had announced plans to replace the disused terracing at the south end of the ground, commonly known as the "City End" with a new structure that would consist of a 1,000-seat stand as well as residential and office accommodation. However, planning permission from Glasgow City Council was not forthcoming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ptfc.co.uk/pressbox/news.asp?id=571 |title=News – Partick Thistle Football Club |publisher=Ptfc.co.uk |access-date=19 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006134243/http://ptfc.co.uk/pressbox/news.asp?id=571 |archive-date=6 October 2007 }}</ref> The grassy bank at the City End has come to be known by the fans as "The Bing".

On 7 November 2014, it was announced that planning permission had been submitted to [[Glasgow City Council]] to redevelop the southern end of the stadium. On this site, a new 450-seater stand will be built, complete with 79 residential flats and also office and retail space. The proposals are identical to those issued to the council in July 2010. Tim Clark of ZM Architecture, the company handling the application, stated: "The timescale for concluding the original consent has now ceased and our client wishes to resubmit the original application as they still have intentions to develop the site, which was interrupted by the downturn in the financial market in the intervening years."<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bateman|first1=David|title=Application proposes to build fourth stand at Partick Thistle's Firhill|url=http://glasgow.stv.tv/articles/298742-proposals-to-make-partick-thistles-firhill-a-four-sided-stadium/|website=glasgow.stv.tv|access-date=8 November 2014|archive-date=8 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108234346/http://glasgow.stv.tv/articles/298742-proposals-to-make-partick-thistles-firhill-a-four-sided-stadium/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{{out of date|date=January 2025}}

==Other uses==

===Rugby Union===
In December 2005, Firhill became the home of Glasgow's professional rugby union team, [[Glasgow Warriors]], when they moved from their previous base at [[Hughenden Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/scottish/4482908.stm |title=Warriors announce Firhill switch |work=[[BBC News]] |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=24 October 2017}}</ref> After returning to Hughenden in 2006, the Warriors took up a two-year residency at Firhill from the start of the [[2007–08 Celtic League]] season.<ref>[http://www.stv.tv/content/sport/exclusive/display.html?id=opencms:/sport/exclusive/Partick_Thistle_interviews_210607 Firhill pitch can cope with rugby, insists chairman], '''stv''' interview, 21 June 2007   {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171709/http://www.stv.tv/content/sport/exclusive/display.html?id=opencms%3A%2Fsport%2Fexclusive%2FPartick_Thistle_interviews_210607 |date=30 September 2007 }}</ref> This was extended in April 2009 for a further five years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Rumsby |first=Ben |url=http://sport.scotsman.com/rugby/Glasgow-to-stay-at-Firhill.5151369.jp |title=Glasgow to stay at Firhill for next five years|work=The Scotsman |access-date=19 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.magnersleague.com/570_2033.php |title=Warriors look to create fortress at Firhill |work=Magners League Official Website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707133804/http://www.magnersleague.com/570_2033.php |archive-date=7 July 2007}}</ref> Glasgow Warriors left Firhill after the 2011&ndash;12 season and moved to [[Scotstoun Stadium]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/content/view/2624/48/|title=STATEMENT FROM GLASGOW WARRIORS AND SCOTTISH RUGBY ON SCOTSTOUN STADIUM|date=30 September 2011|access-date=14 July 2012|work=glasgowwarriors.org|publisher=Glasgow Warriors}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/rugby/early-season-ticket-sales-rise-500-as-glasgow-settle-in-at-scotstoun.17998060|title=Early season-ticket sales rise 500% as Glasgow settle in at Scotstoun|work=The Herald|publisher=Herald & Times Group|date=28 June 2012|access-date=14 July 2012|first=Alasdair|last=Reid}}</ref>
[[File:Glasgow Warriors vs Biarritz - October 10, 2009.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Glasgow Warriors]] playing [[Biarritz Olympique|Biarritz]] at Firhill on 10 October 2009.]]

===Rugby League===
In 1996, Firhill was the site of the Scottish national rugby league team's first game on home soil, with a victory against [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]]. Rugby league, very much a minority sport in Scotland, has returned to the ground on several occasions since, including for the [[2000 Rugby League World Cup|2000 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Welch|first1=Adrian|title=Firhill Stadium, Glasgow: Partick Thistle|url=http://www.glasgowarchitecture.co.uk/firhill-stadium|website=glasgowarchitecture.co.uk|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>

===Greyhound racing===
[[File:Firhill greyhound track in Glasgow c.1940.png|thumb|Firhill greyhound track {{circa|1940}}]]
Greyhound Racing took place from 1928 until 1957. An oval greyhound circuit 400 yards in circumference was added to the stadium around the football pitch in 1928 and a totalisator board was erected above the second bend between terracing. The racing started on 23 April 1928 as an independent (unlicensed) track<ref>{{cite book|last=Barnes|first=Julia|title=Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File|page =417|year=1988|publisher=Ringpress Books|isbn=0-948955-15-5}}</ref> before the joining of the British Greyhound Tracks Control Society (BGTCS) in 1933.

Licensed racing started on Monday 23 January 1933 with a hastily arranged meeting; greyhounds had only qualifying to race on the previous Thursday, Friday and Saturday trial sessions. The company responsible for the greyhound racing was the Firhill Greyhound Racing Company Limited and their managing director was John Bilsland, the same man that formed part of syndicates responsible for opening Southend-on-Sea (Kursaal) and having interests in three Liverpool greyhound tracks. Racing took place at Firhill every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7.45pm with races held over 280 and 480 yards (mainly handicaps).<ref>{{cite news|title=Firhill's First Meeting, Monday 23 January|year=1933|newspaper=Official Racecard}}</ref>

The extra revenue helped Partick Thistle overcome serious financial difficulties and when the BGTCS disbanded in 1935 the stadium management
headed by David Mitchell and W I Bilsland joined the [[National Greyhound Racing Club]] (NGRC) and continued to capitalise on a greyhound racing boom.<ref>{{cite book|title=Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses|year=1946|publisher=Licensing Authorities}}</ref> By March 1950 falling attendances and competition from other Glasgow tracks forced Firhill to resign from their NGRC affiliation. The chairman John Bilsland stated that the cost of NGRC membership exceeded £1,000 per year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Five Tracks Resign From NGRS, Thursday 23 March, no 8, vol 5|year=1950|newspaper=Greyhound Owner and Breeder}}</ref> During January 1957 Racing Manager Ernest Ganly announced that the track was going to close to greyhound racing. He blamed falling attendances but the owner trainers disagreed citing the policy of only running company owned greyhounds at the track as being the main cause.<ref>{{cite news|title=Firhill closes, Thursday 24 January|year=1957|newspaper=Greyhound Owner}}</ref>

'''Track records'''
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 100%"
|-
!| Distance <br>yards
!| Greyhound
!| Time
!| Date
|-align=center 
|480||	Stranger	||27.76||	29.07.1939
|-align=center 
|680||	Tarmatic	||40.89	||04.06.1940
|}

==Television==
In 1999, the stadium briefly featured in a [[Chewin' the Fat]] sketch.

Firhill was used heavily in 2000 as a location for the television series ''[[Taggart (series)|Taggart]]'' in the episode "Football Crazy", in which the fictional team Strathclyde F.C. wore the same kits as Thistle and played at the ground.<ref>{{cite web|title=Locations: Firhill Stadium|url=https://www.imdb.com/search/title?locations=Partick+Thistle+Football+Club%2C+Maryhill%2C+Glasgow%2C+Strathclyde%2C+Scotland%2C+UK&ref_=tt_dt_dt|publisher=IMDb|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Scenes for the 2010 BBC television drama [[Single Father (TV series)|''Single Father'']], starring Scottish actor [[David Tennant]], were filmed at Firhill.<ref>{{cite news |title=Robert Jenkins |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13135973.robert-jenkins/ |access-date=11 July 2020 |work=The Herald |date=12 December 2013 |location=Glasgow}}</ref>

==Transport==

[[Maryhill railway station]], which is served by trains from [[Glasgow Queen Street railway station|Glasgow Queen Street]], is the closest railway station to Firhill.<ref name = "sfgg"/> The walk between the two sites takes between 20 and 25 minutes.<ref name = "sfgg">{{cite web |url=http://www.footballgroundguide.com/scotland/partick_thistle.htm |access-date=14 July 2012 |title=Partick Thistle |publisher=Scottish Football Ground Guide |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928084819/http://www.footballgroundguide.com/scotland/partick_thistle.htm |archive-date=28 September 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Firhill is better served by the [[Glasgow Subway]], with [[Kelvinbridge subway station|Kelvinbridge]] and [[St George's Cross subway station|St George's Cross]] stations within 15 minutes walk of the stadium.<ref name = "sfgg"/> The [[A81 road]] (Maryhill Road), leading to Firhill Road, runs from the [[M8 motorway (Scotland)|M8 motorway]].<ref name = "sfgg"/>

==See also==
*[[Stadium relocations in Scottish football]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

;Sources
*{{cite book| first = Simon  | last = Inglis  | title = Football Grounds of Britain  | year = 1996  | publisher = Collins Willow  | isbn = 0-00-218426-5  }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Firhill Stadium}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141110071319/http://ptfc.co.uk/matchday/getting_to_firhill/ Getting to Firhill] ptfc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2015.

{{Partick Thistle F.C.}}
{{Clyde F.C.}}
{{Hamilton Academical F.C.}}
{{Queen's Park F.C.}}
{{Football in Glasgow}}
{{Rugby union in Glasgow}}
{{Football venues in Scotland}}
{{2000 RLWC Venues}}
{{Scottish greyhound tracks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firhill Stadium}}
[[Category:Clyde F.C.]]
[[Category:Football venues in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Hamilton Academical F.C.]]
[[Category:Partick Thistle F.C.]]
[[Category:Rugby league stadiums in Scotland]]
[[Category:Rugby union stadiums in Scotland]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Rugby union in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Scottish Premier League venues]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League venues]]
[[Category:Scottish Professional Football League venues]]
[[Category:Scotland national football team venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1909]]
[[Category:Defunct greyhound racing venues in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Greyhound racing in Scotland]]
[[Category:Glasgow Warriors]]
[[Category:Maryhill]]
[[Category:Queen's Park F.C.]]