Cathartic Release

Fifty years on from the demise of one of Scotland’s earliest champions, there is a hope that Third Lanark will return to the country’s senior leagues.

- Gordon Cairns

The remains of Third Lanark’s home ground sit undisturbed in the south side of Glasgow, a physical reminder of what can happen when owners are allowed to act as they please. Most grounds of clubs who have changed address since the Thirds went bankrupt in 1967 will have been built over. Cathkin Park, however, still has a pitch marked out but no senior club to play on it.

The stand was dismantled soon after the club went under, obviously a less sentimental age, as there are no murals, preserved turnstiles or streets named after Third Lanark to suggest that one of the founding members of the Scottish League played here for more than half a century. In fact the only clue that the Thirds played here are the crush barriers, painted scarlet by a devoted fan. The pitch is surrounded by shallow stepped terraces and a forest of trees on three sides, creating an eerie atmosphere in a place where 50,000 would attend fortnightly but is now only frequented by teenage drinkers and dog-walkers.