Whether you’re new to Glasgow or not, here is a guide to all the best sporting activities on offer in the city.
Glasgow is infamous for its notoriety in Scottish football. It’s also becoming one of the most attractive places to hold international competitions, exemplified by the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships being held in the city.
Getting involved with student sport has never been easier. UofG’s sport’s union, GUSA (Glasgow University Sports Association), has over 50 clubs on offer. These clubs cater for all abilities, offer a range of socials, and training and competitions. If you want to learn more about a GUSA club, head down to the Sports Fayre on Sunday 10 or Monday 11 September.
If you want to expand your horizons beyond university sport, Glasgow City boasts a number of fantastic facilities to get involved with different activities. Whilst you can book court space to use in The Stevenson Building, Kelvin Hall and Scotstoun offer the same.
Glasgow is also home to a number of fantastic cycling, walking, and running routes. So if joining a sports club isn’t for you, why not try one of these amazing, and often scenic, routes.
If you see yourself as more of a gym rat, there are a number of gyms on offer. The natural choice may be joining The Stevenson Building gym. If you become a member of a GUSA club, you have to pay for a Stevie gym membership anyway. But if you want to use a gym off of the university campus, there are plenty of options. Starting at £14.99 a month, PureGym on Bath Street is an ideal choice for students living in town. If you live in the West End, The Gym Group offer monthly memberships for £18.99 and Anytime Fitness offer student memberships for £29.95 a month. There are plenty of other options available but The Stevenson Building is the best value for money and conveniently located for most UofG students.
There are plenty of options to watch live sport in and around Glasgow – whether you’re into football, rugby, netball, or anything else. Here are some of The Glasgow Guardian’s recommendations for the best live sport that won’t break your bank.
Football
Whilst Glasgow’s most famous football rivals are Rangers and Celtic, who make up the Old Firm, tickets for the men’s games have become increasingly pricey.There are a number of other teams local to Glasgow that play in the Scottish Premier League (SPL). Kilmarnock, situated south west of Glasgow, are certainly a team to watch in this season’s SPL and Scottish League Cup. Will early wins against both Old Firm teams in both competitions, Kilmarnock could certainly be the underdogs of Scottish football this season. Single tickets for students start at around £20 per match.
If you’re looking for a football team closer to home that isn’t Celtic or Rangers, Partick Thistle play in the Scottish Championship. Firhill Stadium is based in Maryhill, where many UofG students find themselves living at some point.
Women’s football is certainly on the rise, and after Glasgow City’s success in the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL), there is plenty of choice if you want to watch live women’s football. Rangers and Celtic also have women’s teams that boast an array of international talent. Tickets for the SWPL start at £2 – what an absolute bargain!
Glasgow is also home to Hampden Park, Scottish Football’s national stadium. International and domestic fixtures are all held at Hampden and is only a short train or bus ride from Glasgow’s city centre.
Rugby
Glasgow resident professional rugby club is Glasgow Warriors, who play in Scotstoun. Players include Ali Price who toured with the British and Irish Lions in 2021, and Fraser Brown who holds 55 caps for Scotland. The Warriors’s first match is a pre-season friending on 30 September 8pm kick-off against Zebre Parma. Tickets begin at £8.
International fixtures are played at Murrayfield. Although this is a fair way from Glasgow, the stadium being on the outskirts of Edinburgh, there are regular buses and trains to the stadium. Murrayfield hosts Scotland’s national teams in competitions including the Autumn Nations Series and the Six Nations. Check out Scottish Rugby’s website for updates.
Netball
Glasgow University Netball Club play in the highest club league in Scotland, the NPL (National League), which consists of seven teams, three of which are university club teams. The fixture list is yet to be released for the 2023/24 season.
If you fancy watching live professional netball, Glasgow’s local team are the Strathclyde Sirens. The Sirens are one of ten teams that make up the Netball Superleague. The Superleague includes teams from Scotland, England, and Wales, including last year’s winners Loughborough Lightning. The Sirens play at the Emirates Arena, easy to get to by train from Glasgow Central to Dalmarnock. The league begins in early 2024 so is definitely one to watch out for.
Ice Hockey
Glasgow also has a residential ice hockey team – Glasgow Clan. Jason Morgan’s side play at Braehead Arena, easy to get to via bus. Their first home game is against Belfast Giants on Friday 15 September. Tickets begin at £5 and the atmosphere is simply incredible, so well worth the money.
Other
Scotland’s Strongest Man competition is being held on September 9 in the SEC, just on the Clyde River.
WWE Live makes its way to the OVO Hydro on the 31 October, so if you like your Halloween theatrical, this is the event for you!
The World Athletics Indoor Championships make their way to Glasgow in the first week of March 2024 at the Emirates Arena. This is an event you’ll want to be at, given the recent successes of Scottish athletes, such as Josh Kerr, who is the 2023 World Champion in the 1500m, and Nicole Yeargin, who won three major medals as part of British women’s 4 x 400 m relays, including bronze at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Alternatively, you can pop down and support any of the GUSA teams competing at home or away. Most GUSA clubs advertise their fixtures and are often free to attend.
