Expect something out of the ordinary when Gary Parker plays at Hampden for the first time tomorrow. The Scottish Claymores' kicker, once on the books of Hearts, never made it to the national stadium as a soccer player.

It is only through putting on pads and a helmet that Parker will get the chance to tread on the same turf as the likes of Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Kenny Dalglish when the Claymores face Frankfurt Galaxy.

Yet Hampden has produced lasting memories for Parker as a spectator. From the terracing, he witnessed the riots at the end of the 1980 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic. Then, closer to his heart, he met his future wife Nicky in the romantic setting of the queue for the pie-stall during the 1992 cup final between Rangers and Airdrie.

''Hampden has special memories for me,'' he explained, ''I'd nipped away just before half-time for a pie and there were about 300-400 in the queue. I'd seen Nicky before in the Borders and there she was trying to sneak to the front of the queue and we started talking. It all worked out well and we'll have been married three years in July.''

Parker has made the transition to American Football with relative ease, although he admits he struggled in the first half of last season when he had to reconstruct his kicking from a rugby background. But in just 17 matches in the NFL Europe League, Parker has made his mark. He has made 28 of 31 kicks and has scored 39 points this season, including last Sunday's game-winning kick against England Monarchs at Murrayfield.

As a keen football supporter - he will travel to Paris to watch Scotland's World Cup match with Brazil with wife Nicky next month - Parker is relishing the opportunity to play at Hampden.

''When you talk of great sporting moments in Scotland, you always think of Hampden - like the 7-3 Real Madrid win over Eintracht Frankfurt in 1960,'' he continued. ''There are huge memories and it'll just be great to be able to say I've played at the national football stadium as well as the national rugby stadium.

''The closest I've come before this was when we reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish Schools' Football Cup for Galashiels Academy and the final was played at Hampden. We were a rugby-playing school but we had a good team and I ended up signing for Hearts. I think John Collins was also in that team.

''I'll not have to change my kicking style playing at Hampden - I just have to aim for the middle of Mount Florida!''

It is ironic that in a week where Real Madrid ended their long separatoin from the European Cup and memories of their great 1960 team were rekindled, there should be another Frankfurt team playing at Hampden.

It would have been difficult to imagine that the Frankfurt team appearing at Hampden would be of the grid-iron variety.

The Claymores' management will be closely monitoring the response of the Glasgow people to this first professional fixture in the city as they have made no secret of the fact that they plan to bring more games to the city next year.

The Claymores are likely to be at their most healthy this season with runningback Carey Bender back and quarterback Jim Ballard having recovered from his shoulder scare last Sunday.

New runningback Vernon Turner, who notched two touchdowns last Sunday on his home debut, also has a point to prove to Galaxy who felt he was surplus to requirements this year.

Turner has already stated that his team-mates may need to hold him back as he seeks to force home his point.

The Claymores have to win all three of their remaining matches and hope other results go their way to get a shot at the World Bowl this year.

Hampden has housed some remarkable performances of Scotland teams in the past. The Claymores will reach into the mists of time for the inspiration to provide one more twist to this season.

EXCLUSIVE

FREE BOOK OFFER

Scottish Claymores v Frankfurt Galaxy

Hampden Park, Glasgow, Sunday, May 24. Kick-off 3.0pm, pre-match party begins at noon.

The first 200 Herald readers to produce this voucher at the Letherby Drive ticket stalls will receive a copy of 'How About Them Claymores', worth #15.95.

(The ticket office opens at noon on Sunday)