Rangers chief executive James Bisgrove provides an update on the Ibrox Stadium expansion project which could close the current capacity gap with Celtic.
Rangers’ iconic Ibrox Stadium hold around 50,000 spectators with the club’s season tickets once again selling out and an estimated 10,000 supporters on a club waiting list.
If Rangers can increase their capacity the resultant ticket sales would – theoretically at least – pay off the cost of the Ibrox expansion and James Bisgrove has once again been talking about the project.
The new Ibrox CEO has also been discussing the club’s plans to enhance the training centre.
Writing in the official programme ahead of the clash with Motherwell at Ibrox (24/09/23), Bisgrove said:
“Plans to further enhance both the Rangers Training Centre and Ibrox, by way of stadium expansion and upgrades to facilities, remain high on our agenda, and we look forward to detailing further plans in the near future.
“It was very pleasing to welcome England to our training ground ahead of their recent match with Scotland. For them to recognise the Rangers Training Centre as the preferred location to prepare for a match they evidently took very seriously is a massive compliment to us as a club.
“The current board and investors have provided significant funds to ensure what was already the best training facility in the country was taken to a whole new level.”
James Bisgrove talks Ibrox Stadium expansion
Rangers are currently engaged in trying to improve disability access to the stadium whilst a three-pronged approach has been mooted to increase capacity.
As part of this, the club recently released a first of its kind in Scotland disability equality survey which details concerns, issues and ambitions held by supporters who fall into this category.
Speaking at New Edmiston House back in June, James Bisgrove detailed the potential plans for Ibrox Stadium expansion in the years ahead.
These concern renovating the areas underneath the jumbotron televisions in the corners of the stadium, adding around 1300 seats per area at a cost of £3-4m per area.
Rangers are also considering completely removing the TVs in these areas and filling in the corners of the stadium adjacent to the Sandy Jardine Stand, adding a further 4000 seats at a cost of up to £25m.
Another option for the club includes lowering the pitch at Ibrox Stadium, something would add another 4500 seats, but there are issues concerned with this process.
Rangers would need more than a close season to complete the works – which are valued at up to £20m -and would have to play somewhere else whilst they were being completed.
Should these ambitious James Bisgrove plans be realised, it would result in an Ibrox Stadium expansion which takes the capacity beyond 60,000 seats.
This would potentially make Ibrox Stadium the biggest stadium in the county and works are set to get underway in the summer of 2024, with further works scheduled in 2025.
