Football Through the Years at Scottish Gas Murrayfield

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - JULY 19: A general view of Scottish Gas Murrayfield during a pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnais at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, on July 19, 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

As Scottish Gas Murrayfield prepares to host Newcastle United and Everton on Wednesday 12 August, we look back at the iconic football matches that have helped shape the stadium’s rich football history.

While best known as the home of Scottish Rugby, Scottish Gas Murrayfield has also earned a reputation as one of the country’s premier football venues. From unforgettable European nights to record-breaking attendances and blockbuster pre-season fixtures, the stadium has welcomed some of the biggest clubs in the game.

Hearts’ European home

Between 2004 and 2007, Heart of Midlothian made Murrayfield their home for UEFA competition matches while Tynecastle underwent redevelopment. Those memorable European evenings brought some of the continent’s leading clubs to Edinburgh, giving thousands of supporters the chance to experience top-level football on one of Scotland’s biggest stages.

The stadium also hosted high-profile pre-season fixtures featuring both Hearts and city rivals Hibernian against Spanish giants Barcelona. In July 2007, almost 58,000 supporters watched Hearts face Barça, setting the largest attendance for a football match in Edinburgh for 51 years.

Celtic’s European stage

Murrayfield once again stepped into the spotlight in 2014 when Celtic played two UEFA Champions League qualifying matches at the stadium while Celtic Park was unavailable during Glasgow’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games.

The occasion reinforced Murrayfield’s ability to host major European football events, providing another memorable chapter in the stadium’s growing football story.

Record-breaking crowds

Some of Scottish football’s biggest attendances have been recorded at Murrayfield in recent years.

In October 2018, 61,161 supporters packed into the stadium for the Scottish League Cup semi-final between Hearts and Celtic, the second-largest crowd ever to watch a football match in Edinburgh.

Less than a year later, Liverpool met Napoli in a glamour pre-season fixture watched by 65,442 fans, the biggest attendance for a football match in Scotland since the 1989 Scottish Cup Final.

Welcoming football’s biggest clubs

Scottish Gas Murrayfield has become a regular destination for elite pre-season football, attracting some of the Premier League’s biggest names.

Manchester United took on Olympique Lyonnais in July 2023 in front of 48,484 supporters before returning the following summer to face Rangers, when 56,574 fans created another electric atmosphere at the national stadium.

Another exciting chapter

The visit of Newcastle United and Everton next month August adds another exciting chapter to Scottish Gas Murrayfield’s football history.

From European competition and domestic cup semi-finals to record crowds and blockbuster pre-season fixtures, the stadium has consistently demonstrated its ability to host football’s biggest occasions. With another Premier League encounter on the horizon, supporters can look forward to creating the next memorable moment in the story of football at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.

Get tickets for Newcastle United v Everton here.