Hampden Park has hosted all manner of football occasions but not one as surreal, it seems safe to say, as the first batch of Olympic matches taking place in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Stringent security around the Olympic Games is to be expected, to such an extent that it dwarves what is in place even when the Old Firm meet. There was plenty of warning that it would be so and, to Hampden's credit, arrangements are such that checks are made relatively quickly. Remember not to leave chewing gum in your pockets; the packaging sets off the alarm on the airport-style body scanner.
Still, this is an odd scene. It isn't conducive to encouraging people who want to watch a game with minimum of fuss, advising them to arrive at least an hour early so as to avoid a security queue. And despite the attempts at poster branding, possibly simply on account of the remote location, this does not actually feel like part of the Olympics at all. Around Glasgow, there has seemed little or no general conversation about the small part the Games will play in this part of the United Kingdom. Claims of Glasgow being a "co‑host" are stretching things somewhat.
Policing numbers around Hampden are exceptionally high – it would be interesting to hear a figure to compare with, say, that for May's Scottish Cup final – with the matter perhaps highlighted by the lack of supporters milling around. Reports on Wednesday morning claimed little more than 6,000 tickets had been sold for the first round of women's matches in Scotland – the USA v France and Colombia v North Korea – with more than 30,000 given away.
At least those who turned out were afforded fine weather, and a chance to watch the USA, the top-ranked country in women's football. The Spanish men's team will take to the Hampden turf on Thursday. But this isn't football, or really the Olympic Games, as we would like to know it.
