The Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park was due to open on May 24. It is situated in the new BT South Stand at the rebuilt venue. The Scottish FA have recently relocated their offices to Hampden and the Scottish League are due to follow suit soon.

In March Partick Thistle submitted a planning application for the construction of student accommodation adjacent to the unused North Terrace at Firhill. Any money raised from the development will fund the demolition of the aforementioned terrace and the construction of a 2,000-seat stand.

Falkirk continue to struggle on at Brockville after again feeling the wrath of the SPL ground-grading committee. During the last months of the season the Dons tried in vain to arrange the use of Airdrie’s Shyberry Excelsior Stadium, Hampden Park and even the rugby stronghold of Murrayfield, should they have finished in a promotion position. The committee told them in no uncertain terms that there would be no extension to the deadline and they were thus consigned to another season in the Scottish League irrespective of their final finishing position. Better news arrived towards the end of the season however when it was announced that the local council had ’agreed in principal’ to plans for a 10,000-seat stadium on the outskirts of the town.

Hibernian are continuing work on a new £6 million West Stand at Easter Road during the close season. The new two-tier stand will hold 6,500 seats and is part of the on-going regeneration of the Edinburgh ground. The stand (illustrated in magazine) should be ready for the start of the new season.

At the time of going to press a decision was still awaited from an appeal by Ayr United to the Scottish Executive against the refusal of planning permission for a joint replacement stadium and associated retail developments at a site in the Heathfield area of town. Although the actual stadium was approved the funding of its construction was reliant on the rejected retail element of the plan.

The rescue of troubled Airdrie by stadium-builders Barr and others has resulted in near-neighbours Motherwell shelving plans to acquire the Shyberry Excelsior for use as a training and youth development venue.

Livingston are continuing to build up the Almondvale Stadium with the news that they are to add two five-storey office blocks to the two remaining undeveloped corners of the ground. The go-ahead club already have a nightclub and a conference hall in place and the new venture will assist them in generating income in their bid to take on the ‘big boys’.