Scottish Cup Final: 150th Anniversary

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

I was approached by the Scottish Football Association to design the front cover of the matchday programme for the 2024/2025 Scottish Cup Final.

This was the 150th Scottish Cup Final and was contested between Celtic and Rangers. The SFA wanted a programme cover that celebrated the history of the competition, but also acknowledged the intensity and drama of the fixture.

Leaning into the tribal nature of the Old Firm fixture, I created a ‘gladiatorial’ head-to-head composition with player cutouts and placed the trophy at the heart of it. There was real strength in the symmetry of the composition and I was able to give the design depth and structure with Hampden Park as a looming backdrop under an ominous sky.

Upon presenting the final cover artwork to the client, I was also requested to develop two winners graphic variations for social media.

A hugely proud moment for me being entrusted with the cover for the Scottish Cup 150th Anniversary, celebrating the oldest national football trophy in the world!

Year

2024

Project Type

GRAPHIC DESIGN | EDITORIAL DESIGN

Front Cover

The ambition was to create a dramatic composition that was fitting of the occasion and the teams involved. This was to be the first Scottish Cup Final contested between the Old Firm in 22 years.

I also wanted the cover to hero the trophy, the oldest in association football, given the significance of the anniversary.

Back Cover

The brief included a design for the back cover, listing every previous winner of the trophy. This was a nice touch and required careful formatting to ensure a consistent and clean appearance. The trophy features as a subtle detail in the background at a bigger scale than the front cover.

Social Media

In addition to the cover, a winners graphic was requested for each team for the purpose of social media. On this occasion the Celtic version was shared across SFA channels after a 1-0 victory.