On Monday, 13 March 2023, the Scottish FA celebrated 150 years of the national game.
To mark the historic evening, the Association was honoured to be the recipients of a Civic Dinner granted by The Rt. Hon. Lord Provost of Glasgow, Jacqueline McLaren, and held at Glasgow City Chambers.
Guests were drawn from across the Scottish football family – from grassroots to elite level – on a special night to reflect on the game’s rich history in this country, celebrate the vital role football plays in modern-day Scotland and look forward to an exciting future.
The Lord Provost kicked off proceedings with a formal welcome that touched on some of the unforgettable moments and occasions that have peppered the last 150 years of Scottish football.
The Scottish FA’s President, Rod Petrie, echoed those sentiments and expressed his pride to be a custodian of this great game at a landmark period in the Association’s history.
That extended far beyond the field of play, with special mention for the creation of the world’s first Affiliated National Association (ANA) dedicated to para-football in 2018.
UEFA were represented by their Deputy General Secretary, Giorgio Marchetti, who recalled Zinedine Zidane’s iconic Champions League Final goal for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen back in 2002 at Hampden Park – which features regularly in promotional materials for the competition to this day.
In Giorgio’s own words, “If you love football, you love Scotland.”
The Scottish FA’s Vice-President, Mike Mulraney, closed proceedings by thanking the various clubs and stakeholders that help make the Scottish game what it is today and spelled out his optimism for what lies ahead.
Speaking afterwards, Rod Petrie added: “It’s my privilege to be the 53rd President of the Scottish Football Association on the occasion of our 150th anniversary.
“It’s fantastic to think that all those years ago people had the foresight to sit and look at association football, so we have the game that we have today. A lot has happened in those 150 years.
“We are the custodians of the game, but we’d be nothing without the clubs and supporters.”
Chief Executive Ian Maxwell continued: “It was a fantastic night, but we need to look forward and make sure we future-proof the Scottish FA and Scottish football so we’re here for the next 150 years.
“Not least to help within local communities, whether that’s physical health to get people active, or mental health by being part of a team, a club or coming together with your friends. Scottish football transforms lives.”
As we celebrate 150 years of Scottish football, click here to learn a bit more about the history of our great game.
We have also launched a digital version of our archives. Click here to find out more information about the Scottish Football Museum's ambitious project.