Ibrox stadium, what's it going to be like in ten years time

[Tom Forsyth's stud]

We really don’t.

The club aren’t daft they know if we had a bigger stadium people would be far more likely to pick and choose games. If we had a 73k capacity stadium it would be full at best maybe 10 games per season.

Season ticket sales would also level off as most fans know they can get a ticket for most games fairly easily.

It’s a balancing act. I think we will end up getting some extra seating in at low cost to bring us up to around 53/54k mark and that will be absolutely fine imo.

The focus should be on making what we have better. Better surrounds of Ibrox. Better club shop, restaurant, bar, museum, walkway, fanzone, bigger better fitted screens, concourse facilities, covered area for our handicapped, finish the panels at the sides of the Copland/Broomie. All of this can and should be done within our current financials. There’s simply no excuse for dragging our heels on fundamental modern day needs of our supporters.

The club actually coming out with plans and regular updates is essential.
Even the winter storms damaging the banners on Edmiston Drive hasn't been rectified, they've just removed the torn ones and it's embarrassing looking.

 

[Bluebeard]

Short sightedness and lacking ambition IMO. Football is not standing still. We are moving closer and closer to the merger of leagues and increased group games in the European competitions in 2 seasons time. What will the competitions we play in look like in 10, 15, 20 years time and who will we be playing in a bigger stadium? We have to be ready for the eventuality that these bigger fixtures come round and capitalise on them.

And the last paragraph - some of that is incorporated in Edmiston House. The other stuff can would be better improved - long term - as part of a rebuild. The stadium in its current form barely meets the needs you mention and soon won't meet the needs of the business as a whole.

If we played in a European league or the EPL I’d agree with you.

But we don’t. And we ain’t selling 73,000 season tickets to watch us playing Inverness clachacuddin United 4 times a season.

 

[Bluebeard]

The club actually coming out with plans and regular updates is essential.
Even the winter storms damaging the banners on Edmiston Drive hasn't been rectified, they've just removed the torn ones and it's embarrassing looking.

Correct

Banners, posters and bit of paper aren’t enough. Talk about papering cracks , it’s beyond embarrassing.

People moaning about “ these wee shitty grounds” getting tonight’s European final- take a look at the footprint of that stadium in Albania, the concourse facilities, the walkways around the ground. It makes Ibrox look like a hovel.

We have an iconic stadium badly in need of basic work not in the seats themselves there’s hardly a bad view in Ibrox- but the surrounds of our stadium are an utter eyesore and disgrace to our name.

 

[stillAlwaysblue]

Size is probably OK but the facilities need a lot of work done. I am a hospitality guy but from what I am told the place is left in a mess after a match. Not just the away area but other areas as well where damage has to be repaired and the amount of rubbish to be collected for disposal is considerable. Toilets are not great to start with but again need repairs after a match.
Vast majority treat the place well but the few that dont tend to cloud a decision to make improvements.
We do need to make improvements of that there is no doubt but for some the view is why bother it will just get damaged.
Anyway I am just passing on what I know but I would like to see at least one area improved and if that works and remains in good shape then do one area at a time and spread the cost over a few seasons.
The desire for hospitality in increasing where clubs are successful and it could be in few years the cost of seeing a game will increase if the fan wants top class facilities. This is not right but appears to be the way of the world these days.
Are any other grounds better than Ibrox and if so we should find out why.

 

[Sir Know it All]

we should replace the screens and get more seating in, like this IMO.

 

[archimedes]

The "goalpost" type construction of the rooves of Colpland, Govan, Broomloan stands really handicap expansion.

I'm laughing at this more than I should be

 

[mfgorm]

Can't see much change except adding a few rows at the front. Money being the main issue.
I would like to see the corners properly filled in and the officespace used for expanded concourses. There really isn't any enticement to go early and stay late at Ibrox for a game.

 

[barrheadbear]

Surely upgrading the 'match day experience' as opposed to redesigning the stadium shouldn't be too dear?

Rereading my post I have nit bern as clear as I should have been.

We do not have the finances for a significant upgrade (knocking down the 3 new stands and rebuiding bigger and better) if we are looking to increase capacity.

 

[ronadamus_prime]

Finding ways to make use of Ibrox and the foot print around the stadium all year round, should be the long term aim imo.

I think we are a while off a complete structural revamp of the stands and massive capacity increases. Although little changes could happen.

Rangers is a way of life for many people, for both people who live in Glasgow and people who don't. Finding ways to make the stadium and it's surrounds a more engaging place to be all year round and on non match days, should be the priority in the here in now. I'm not just talking a bigger and better stocked store, a museum, stadium tours and a venue like Edmiston House. Adding bars, restaurants and cafes etc. Make it a vibrant hub that you could realistically spend the entire day in. Make Ibrox a self contained mini Town almost.

As far as improving the interiors and the experience with the walls of Ibrox, that should be a priority in the here and now imo. Upgrade the toilets. Upgrade the catering. Upgrade the concourses. Upgrade the screens. The outer facades of the other stands are due a sprucing up also.

 

[Clicker]

We’ll never be able to fund a major rebuild, it’s a case of keeping the place as we have it now in as good a condition as possible.

 

[derek145]

Not sure.

For league games tickets are easy to come by.

And in the past this was the thinking behind increasing the capacity further. If tickets are easy to get then fewer will buy season tickets

 

[westenclosurebear]

Have we though? Outwith Celtic and later stages in Europe tickets are readily available

Agreed. We won't make any material change to the Stadium for that reason alone.

Cost v Benefit will never stack up.

 

[jierobinson92]

The Cocaine will still be for free in the toilets

 

[CrunchBear]

Doesn’t excuse the lack of polish to the exterior, but has there not been a ton of work to parts of the interior? Remember hearing about lots of electricity issues, missing ceiling panels that sort of thing

 

[bluetonic]

Can't see much change except adding a few rows at the front. Money being the main issue.
I would like to see the corners properly filled in and the officespace used for expanded concourses. There really isn't any enticement to go early and stay late at Ibrox for a game.

I really find this strange as its the last place I would buy a season ticket for, the worst view in any football stadium imo

 

[Ubik]

The Cocaine will still be for free in the toilets

 

[CalgaryLoyal]

Replace the roof of each stand with and restructure around the corners so we can fill them in

Buy all the office space from behind the concourse and turn it into a bowl style concourse that wraps around the 3 stands and fill it with bars and restaurants

‘Modernize the outside

The last 2 should be well within budget and would make a massive difference to match day experience.

 

[MayboleLoyal]

I'd love the concourses modernised, get people into the ground early with some good eateries. Hopefully one day in Scotlands stadiums we will be aloud a drink on the concourse

 

[High Society]

In my heart I’d hoped minimum we would buy the complex and pitch directly across from the main stand and pedestrianise and smarten up the full area around the ground with proper walkways, some trees, a proper memorial for the 66 , and an improved Grieg statue holding the 72 cup winners cup. If we do that plus the new Edmiston house and museums open, and the current club shop becomes a proper bar/cafe with ticket office, we at least will have a presentable ground befitting our clubs stature and history.

A club like Rangers shouldn’t have grey portakabins with barbed wire serving customers outside our iconic stadium.

Ibrox is tired and dated beyond belief especially the surrounds. It badly needs modernised but is there the will to do it? I hope for future generations of bears a realistic and affordable revamp can take place to bring us in line with a modern European football club. Capacity wise it’s been done to death there won’t be much down to increase it, so that can be forgotten.

Think it’s about costs and the ability to buy land

 

[Bluebeard]

Think it’s about costs and the ability to buy land

I’ll give you a small example of it not being that.

What would it have “ cost” over the last few seasons to get shot of those god awful POW portakabins with barbed wire as ticket offices, and instead used a small bit of office space at the back of one of the stands? There’s plenty of space in there.

There are things we could have done and could do we just don’t. There are still portable TVs from the early 90s at the very back of the main stand. Haven’t worked for 15 years. Why is this?

Small stuff that could be done isn’t being. That’s not cost that’s laziness.

 

[crookie_bear]

Replace the roof of each stand with and restructure around the corners so we can fill them in

Buy all the office space from behind the concourse and turn it into a bowl style concourse that wraps around the 3 stands and fill it with bars and restaurants

‘Modernize the outside

The last 2 should be well within budget and would make a massive difference to match day experience.

I'd love the concourses modernised, get people into the ground early with some good eateries. Hopefully one day in Scotlands stadiums we will be aloud a drink on the concourse

As above, I think increasing the Capacity might be a bit much budget wise but a good renovation of what we have could be achievable, better toilet facilities, new seating, increasing concourse size by taking back office space at the rear ( Broomie and Copland at least) and using this space to add bars, decent food outlets and access to Rangers merchandise from inside the stadium. A real good professional upgrade both inside and out not just a lick of paint

 

[TW14]

Leave her as she is,

It is old and it is beautiful, and its colours they are fine !

No seriously, just too much money involved in an increase.
Need to improve the facilities, and clean it all up a bit but overall as it is.

 

[NeillyGibson]

Hopefully significantly larger. Capacity needs to be increased to keep up with demand. It's common sense.

 

[Hindleymonwafc]

The only thing holding Rangers back is the Scottish league....hoping for a day when that European atmosphere is replicated every other week as part of a British league. That's when the stadium will get the increase it deserves to around the 70k mark.

 

[chickenhawk]

Bring back the old coloured seats, brown section, yellow section etc

 

[Mview83]

Let’s see if they can finish New Edmiston House first

 

[The People]

The only thing holding Rangers back is the Scottish league....hoping for a day when that European atmosphere is replicated every other week as part of a British league. That's when the stadium will get the increase it deserves to around the 70k mark.

I'm 55 and been hearing about a British league or the like since I was a teenager

It just isn't going to happen I'm afraid
But I agree 65/70 k capacity would be needed ,especially since near every team done there would bring 5/6 k fans to games

 

[Blue boy]

The cost to increase capacity and return will take a generation and more to pay back.
The money is in hospitality , i paid £350 for the SC cup final.
The cost to Rangers was no more say £125 .
Profit of at least £200 in one day.

 

[JorgAlbertz]

The cost to increase capacity and return will take a generation and more to pay back.
The money is in hospitality , i paid £350 for the SC cup final.
The cost to Rangers was no more say £125 .
Profit of at least £200 in one day.

15,000 increase of capacity at an average of £750 per season ticket is £11.25m a year approx. How can you generate that from improvements to hospitality?

With expansion of the European tournaments to 8 game guaranteed in the group stages and - you'd like to think - our regular participation in group stage football in one of the three, that is potentially an extra £750k in ticket sales alone per match with that increase in capacity.

The number of European fixtures is only going to expand further in the next 20 years.

 

[The People]

15,000 increase of capacity at an average of £750 per season ticket is £11.25m a year approx. How can you generate that from improvements to hospitality?

With expansion of the European tournaments to 8 game guaranteed in the group stages and - you'd like to think - our regular participation in group stage football in one of the three, that is potentially an extra £750k in ticket sales alone per match with that increase in capacity.

The number of European fixtures is only going to expand further in the next 20 years.

Agree with your point that for the foreseeable future we will be guaranteed group stage football in Europe and that brings in a right good income .

But 15,000 is way too much imo

a third tier on the govan mirroring the club deck would be ideal taking us to 57k

 

[JorgAlbertz]

Agree with your point that for the foreseeable future we will be guaranteed group stage football in Europe and that brings in a right good income .

But 15,000 is way too much imo

a third tier on the govan mirroring the club deck would be ideal taking us to 57k

So you think we should spend millions upgrading and still leave ourselves with a lower ticket sales revenue than the main financial rivals in the league?

And imagine the noise/intimidation factor that goes with 65k in the biggest games.

 

[Blue boy]

15,000 increase of capacity at an average of £750 per season ticket is £11.25m a year approx. How can you generate that from improvements to hospitality?

With expansion of the European tournaments to 8 game guaranteed in the group stages and - you'd like to think - our regular participation in group stage football in one of the three, that is potentially an extra £750k in ticket sales alone per match with that increase in capacity.

The number of European fixtures is only going to expand further in the next 20 years.

I am not saying hospitality will cover it, just theres a lot of profit in it compared to a season ticket.
Punters will get bored of mediocre teams playing us in Europe.
Its got to be the champions league.
We also need to decant Ibrox for a couple of years to rebuild .
We need a rich foreigner at the helm to do such a thing.

 

[Red Bear]

I'd love the concourses modernised, get people into the ground early with some good eateries. Hopefully one day in Scotlands stadiums we will be aloud a drink on the concourse

Living in the Dark Ages in Scotland. Why on earth can’t you go into the ground an hour before kick off on expanded concourses and have some food and a couple of beers? But this is Scotland.

 

[The People]

So you think we should spend millions upgrading and still leave ourselves with a lower ticket sales revenue than the main financial rivals in the league?

And imagine the noise/intimidation factor that goes with 65k in the biggest games.

Tbh mate I've been hoping for stadium expansion for years ,I don't buy into the 50k is enough argument .Rangers are possibly the most popular they have been in their history and they could definitely sell 4\5k season tickets more and are missing out on a lot of revenue,this season in Europe shows the demand for the big games especially .But I'm realistic 57k would be ideal for us ,unless the fantasy of the EPL ever came to fruition.
A tier on the Govan alone would cost a ridiculous amount and we don't have the finances for that ,no sure where you would be proposing to put the if he 8k seats to take us to 65,000 thousand .

 

[A1bertz]

No need to increase capacity. They can just double the season ticket prices and arrive at the same desired result.

 

[The Predator]

Pretty sure to fill in the corners we would need to do something wild like you see at the Signal Iduna Park with those large steel structures holding the stands up.

Reality is %^*& all will change other than maybe an extra 2 or 3k at most if we can dig down further.

Current board don't have the appetite for it IMO. Christ they can't even get Edmiston house moving again

 

[Cambuslangger]

This stuff is pie in the sky unless we get a sugar daddy. Knocking down the Govan and build a stand of similar size to the Main stand would keep the place symmetrical but I would guess could cost £50m or so. If something happens within ten years I would be surprised unless something odd happens like winning the CL!

 

[Albertz Loyal]

As above, I think increasing the Capacity might be a bit much budget wise but a good renovation of what we have could be achievable, better toilet facilities, new seating, increasing concourse size by taking back office space at the rear ( Broomie and Copland at least) and using this space to add bars, decent food outlets and access to Rangers merchandise from inside the stadium. A real good professional upgrade both inside and out not just a lick of paint

I don't think there is any office space behind the broomie and Copeland.

But all about the facilities. Toilet's are awful and food stalls terrible. Main stand is the worst. Need to improve all that

 

[Nyrmetros]

Fed ex field- current home of the washington commanders (redskins) was opened in 1997 and is the second oldest stadium currently in use in the NFL. The commanders are already looking for a new stadium.

Again, finances are wholly different , but our 3 stands were erected in late 70s early 80s, even the corners were filled in late 90s.

FedEx Field opened with 90, 000 seats. Now the capacity is down to 80, 000. The stadium has had deferred maintenance for years.

Fed ex field- current home of the washington commanders (redskins) was opened in 1997 and is the second oldest stadium currently in use in the NFL. The commanders are already looking for a new stadium.

Again, finances are wholly different , but our 3 stands were erected in late 70s early 80s, even the corners were filled in late 90s.

 

[AndythephotoDr]

Quick question about the screens. Isn’t the company who supply those digital advertising boards that we have not specialist in the field of these big screens too? You would think it wouldn’t be too hard to get bigger screens and have it all integrated with the advertising boards

 

[PMB1872]

My gut feel is there will be no capacity increase in the next 10 years.

 

[In Walter We Trust]

Let’s complete the cladding to the underside of the govan and broomloan and change that horrendous remaining yellow cladding. Replace the seats and a general clean and paint , refurb the govan toilets but it would be basic only as it’s a toilet !. Longer term I would suggest an easy option to over clad the 3 stands . Modernising the concourse will likely mirror what was done in club 72 and not too costly . Easy if you put a plan in place .

 

[William Cutting]

The board need to be smarter in bringing money in.

A sold out concert is due to take place there in a few weeks, why aren't we lining these things up during the summer to bring in money? Do a run for a few weeks with the plastic flooring down and let the pitch recover before the season begins, easy money.

 

[Mustang mad]

FedEx Field opened with 90, 000 seats. Now the capacity is down to 80, 000. The stadium has had deferred maintenance for years.

Ibrox has been neglected for years also

 

[Mustang mad]

I don't think there is any office space behind the broomie and Copeland.

But all about the facilities. Toilet's are awful and food stalls terrible. Main stand is the worst. Need to improve all that

There are at least 3 levels of office space behind the broomloan. Lots of the community work is situated in there.

 

[Tractionman55]

I like that and surely this is feesable.

 

[the ox 66]

50,000 capacity with 60,000 at every home game

As long as we have a standing section by then I am not that arsed about much else, hopefully still pictures of Chris Burke in the bogs.

why pictures of chris burke in the bogs???

 

[Cahoochie]

The "goalpost" type construction of the rooves of Colpland, Govan, Broomloan stands really handicap expansion.

I'm laughing at this more than I should be

From Wiki.
Roofs is the plural of roof in all varieties of English. Rooves is an old secondary form, and it still appears occasionally by analogy with other irregular plurals such as hooves, but it is not common enough to be considered standard.

Was taught both spellings acceptable way back in the early 1960s

 

[Chris the Bandito]

We really don’t.

The club aren’t daft they know if we had a bigger stadium people would be far more likely to pick and choose games. If we had a 73k capacity stadium it would be full at best maybe 10 games per season.

I can't disagree with this more. I don't think there is a bigger "Match day" support in the UK than Rangers. I believe the only comparable is Man Utd who fill this capacity (and want to expand) whilst several teams who have smaller supports than us have capacities in the 60k range and sell them out most weeks.

The aim for me wouldn't necessarily be to fill the ground with season tickets although I think whatever capacity you set aside for them would probably sell out as it has become the cultural norm nowadays. Just because there isn't a real waiting list doesn't mean demand doesn't exist or cannot be created - especially if there was a buzz around stadium expansion.

To my mind you also need additional capacity so it becomes easier to introduce a new generation of fans - you see whole areas of Ibrox who got season tickets at the same time getting old together.

It would also allow us to tailor more areas of the ground to specific elements of the fanbase - more corporate or premium seats to generate revenue, a standing area, proper family area, bigger disabled facilities etc.

Facility for a bigger away support, or to provide more tickets as part of sponsorship/ charity initiatives or to go after the "football tourist" market

Filling the ground would be the least of our concerns- financing, infrastructure (specifically transport) and the council would be far bigger obstacles.

 

[Bluebeard]

I can't disagree with this more. I don't think there is a bigger "Match day" support in the UK than Rangers. I believe the only comparable is Man Utd who fill this capacity (and want to expand) whilst several teams who have smaller supports than us have capacities in the 60k range and sell them out most weeks.

The aim for me wouldn't necessarily be to fill the ground with season tickets although I think whatever capacity you set aside for them would probably sell out as it has become the cultural norm nowadays. Just because there isn't a real waiting list doesn't mean demand doesn't exist or cannot be created - especially if there was a buzz around stadium expansion.

To my mind you also need additional capacity so it becomes easier to introduce a new generation of fans - you see whole areas of Ibrox who got season tickets at the same time getting old together.

It would also allow us to tailor more areas of the ground to specific elements of the fanbase - more corporate or premium seats to generate revenue, a standing area, proper family area, bigger disabled facilities etc.

Facility for a bigger away support, or to provide more tickets as part of sponsorship/ charity initiatives or to go after the "football tourist" market

Filling the ground would be the least of our concerns- financing, infrastructure (specifically transport) and the council would be far bigger obstacles.

So you think we get 73,000 for a home game against Ross County in November?

I just don’t see it. The club have said in the last of the stadium was too big season ticket sales would plummet. It’s common sense.