Stadium

History of the stadium

Rangers’ home has been Ibrox Stadium since 1899 when the Glasgow giants moved from the original Ibrox Park. Their ground has undergone a number of renovations over the years with its current guise taking shape in 1997. While further alterations are also now in the pipeline.

The Gers used a host of different venues as their stadium during the early years of Rangers’ club history. Games occurred at Fleshers’ Haugh, Burnbank Park and Kinning Park before the first Ibrox Park opened in 1887. The ground would host their matches for the next 12 years.

Rangers built the original Ibrox Park as it was impossible to expand Kinning Park’s capacity. It would then be at Ibrox Park that the Gers secured the first top-flight title in Rangers’ trophy history. But issues with the ground saw club chiefs elect to erect a new ground from scratch.

Rangers moved into a very different Ibrox Park in 1899

Construction of a new Ibrox Park started on an adjacent plot of land to the west and it would ultimately overlap with the original ground. Doors opened at Rangers’ new home in 1899 for the visit of Hearts on December 30. The Gers kicked life at the ground off with a 3-1 victory.

The stadium was very different to the Ibrox of today with Rangers modelling their ground on an oval. It was customary at the time to erect oval stadiums with a running track around the edge of the pitch. While its name stayed in place until 1997 when it became Ibrox Stadium.

Rangers quickly increased the capacity of their new Ibrox Park by installing a large terrace at the western end. But the 1902 Ibrox disaster saw a section of the stand collapse and the club removed the terrace. Major changes were then introduced to increase the capacity in 1910.

Another major redevelopment followed in 1928 as Rangers built a new Main Stand following their first double. The Gers again hired Archibald Leitch to design the stand on the south side of the ground. It would also have a Leitch-style criss-cross balcony with a red-brick façade.

Leitch’s Main Stand is now a Category B-listed building

The architectural significance of the Main Stand saw it become a Category B-listed building in 1987. By then, Rangers had also made further changes to Ibrox with floodlights used for the first time in 1953. The east and north stands would also receive covers in the 1960s.

But tragedy frequently struck Rangers’ stadium at the popular Stairway 13 exit from the east stand. The 1971 Ibrox disaster, in particular, would force the Gers to redesign their ground as then-Rangers boss Willie Waddell helped create radical plans for a modern and safe stadium.

Work started in 1978 to remove the east stand before work on the west stand followed one year later. The project to replace the stands lasted until 1981. While David Holmes’ tenure as club director put the ground at the forefront with a public address system and CCTV added.

David Murray’s time as Rangers’ owner then brought further upgrades in the early 1990s to take the capacity to over 50,000. The Main Stand now being a listed building meant Rangers worked around the existing structure. While the corners of their stadium were also filled in.

The changes to Rangers’ home finished in 1997 and brought about a name change as Ibrox Park became Ibrox Stadium. Further small modifications have followed over the years to up the capacity and plans to improve its disabled facilities and accessibility are in the pipeline.

How to get to Ibrox

Fans can get to Ibrox through an array of means with Rangers’ stadium well served by public transport. The ground is only a short walk away from the Rangers Subway Station, which is a 10-15 minute journey from Glasgow city centre. Trains leave the station every five minutes.

A number of bus stops are also located within 300 yards of Ibrox offering fans connections to Rangers’ stadium from Glasgow. While the Gers’ home is close to junctions 23 and 24 on the M8 motorway for those arriving by car. But road closures are in force outside of the stadium.

Stadium tour information

Rangers run tours of Ibrox for fans wanting a behind-the-scenes look at their stadium. These provide visitors with an all-access pass to the historic ground and a chance to see the home and away dressing rooms, the famous marble staircase and check the club’s trophy cabinet.

Tours of Ibrox run at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, 14:30 and 15:30, as well as 17:30 & 19:30 on Thursdays. All tours last around 90 minutes and also include pitchside and dugout access. Rangers do not provide tours of the stadium on matchdays and advanced booking is advised.

Address:

Ibrox: Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow, G51 2XD