Fans love supporting successful clubs. After all, they enjoy watching their teams constantly dominating the rankings or making the news. That’s why clubs like Rangers keep growing as other clubs experience lower popularity rankings. Even more interesting is how sports betting has led to the popularity and growth of successful football clubs. As punters can easily access odds on mobile Bet365 and other reputable bookies, they notice the obvious trends. And soon enough, they start sticking to the clubs with the highest ROIs on wagers. But wagers are not the only reason the Rangers keep widening their fanbase. Let’s find out more about their impressive growth rates:
The Growth of the Rangers in Popularity
Not many clubs can boast fans worldwide. For many, even garnering support locally is challenging. But not for the Rangers. Consider the stats below:
How big is the Rangers fanbase? Per the 2023 statistics, this club boasts more than nine million supporters across the globe. Many of these supporters owe to the 600 registered fan clubs in the world. These continue to push the Rangers’ values, mission, and vision to prospective fans, thus drawing more attention to the club. So, while the club has its base in Scotland, even people from other continents are keen to support its growth. Interestingly, expatriates often contribute to this growth by sharing their love for the club with other football fans. As a result, the club can count on fans from countries like the U.S., South Africa, China, and more.
Many people support clubs but do not show up for the matches. But with Rangers’ fans, the support is vocal and physical. Fans go out of their way to show up to events. And since the club has an international fanbase, this is quite manageable. Below are some of the most outstanding attendances in the club’s history:
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The 2008 UEFA Cup final: More than 200,000 Rangers fans showed up for this match with Zenit Saint Petersburg. The crowd was so big that they could not all fit in the stadium, and most followed the event from the Piccadilly Gardens fan zone.
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The 2020–21 Scottish Premiership title: When the team clinched this trophy, its fans were so excited that they walked from Ibrox to George Square to celebrate the win!
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The 2022 UEFA Europa League Final: The Rangers fans were excited about the team’s performance, and more than 100,000 traveled to Seville to watch this event.
Of course, the team has also maintained a >90% of the stadium capacity in local matches, with over 45,000 fans attending each major event. Many teams can only wish to foster such support!
One of the most exciting events in Rangers events is the songs. The fans eagerly break into Follow Follow and other anthems during the matches. These not only inspire the players to keep going hard at their opponents but they also foster comraderie among the fans. The chants are also just as exciting. One common one is the “Bouncy” where the fans bounce up and down as they commemorate historic Rangers events.
The songs, attendances, and even clubs may inspire fans to keep supporting the team. But the team would not be as popular as it is if it did not perform as well as it does. The players do not disappoint and always put their best foot forward in the games. It makes it easier for the fans to show up and share their love for the team.
The passion that fans have for the team often attracts other fans who want to be part of a community that motivates its players. And thanks to globalization, the fanbase is only set to grow bigger!
