FIFA president Sepp Blatter will be invited tomorrow to recognise the Scottish Second Division club Queen's Park as trailblazers of the modern game.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, First Minister Alex Salmond and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson are backing the Scottish Football Association's campaign to have the Glasgow club honoured with FIFA's Order of Merit.
Only two clubs, Real
Madrid and Sheffield FC, who are the oldest club in the world, have been awarded the FIFA honour previously, while Pele, Nelson Mandela and the late Bobby Moore rank among a select band of individual recipients.
Queen's Park are the world's second-oldest club, having formed in 1867, and they arranged the first international match when Scotland met England in 1872.
Scottish FA president George Peat will hand over the application document to Blatter, who will attend tomorrow's meeting of the International FA Board at Gleneagles.
Peat will make the nomination of Queen's Park "in recognition of their outstanding role in the development of the modern game and for 140 years of service to football."
Queen's Park, who founded the SFA in 1873, will be feted at FIFA's annual congress in Sydney at the end of May if the SFA succeed with their push for recognition.
The Prime Minister said: "Queen's Park's contribution to football, both on a local and worldwide scale, cannot be over-stated. As the first club to play to the passing style and rules of football in the 19th century, their legacy is the brand of football played across the globe today.
"Some of the most fundamental elements of the modern game owe their existence to this special club. I can think of no more fitting recognition than the FIFA Order of Merit."
Salmond explained: "By forming the SFA, Queen's Park helped lay the foundations for the development of football in Scotland and beyond."
Ferguson, 66, began his playing career 50 years ago with the staunchly amateur club, and said: "Being brought up in the Queen's Park way as a 16-year-old was the foundation which helped form the player and the person I was to become.
"I believe they should be recognised by the very body who champion these committed football lovers."
Peat hopes Blatter will accept the submission and add Queen's Park to the ranks of the world greats.
The SFA are housed at Hampden Park, which Queen's Park opened in 1873, where they and Scotland continue to play.
The full article contains 415 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
