Prior preparation prevents pretty poor performance. Or words to that effect. Advice that the Rangers board should have followed to avoid the current fiasco.
They were always going to be cutting it fine to have Ibrox ready for the opening weeks of the season so, why take the risk?
John Bennett has released a statement confirming what fans already pretty much know with Rangers News already covering that Hampden Park is the most likely temporary home.
Philippe Clement has it all to do this summer and his efforts haven’t been helped by those above him as he tries to rebuild his squad.
Rangers statement on Ibrox farce isn’t good enough
In what was an entirely avoidable situation, Rangers won’t be at Ibrox for some time with the chairman providing little that fans weren’t aware of in a generic statement:
“First, I’d like to apologise on behalf of the club for the uncertainty that this delayed project has caused to our season ticket holders, hospitality clients, partners and the wider support of this football club.
“The number of variables in this situation has made it extremely difficult to bring the one thing we all crave – certainty.
“Nevertheless, we are closing in on the most immediate solution – a suitable venue at which to fulfil our fixtures and house our support.
“While the ongoing delay means that the club is unable to fix a date for our return to Ibrox, we anticipate that this will become clearer upon delivery of the necessary materials to Glasgow.
“Rangers thanks the Scottish FA and the SPFL for their strong support in working to this solution.
“The club wholeheartedly appreciates the continued patience of our supporters while we work through this most trying of situations.
“I intend to give a fuller, personal update by the end of July.”
Rangers have nobody else to blame by themselves
There is no excuse.
Rangers should already have had contingencies in place, just in case something went wrong, the current scenario is far from the ‘best in class’ mantra that Bennett set when being announced as chairman.
If anybody has learned anything post Brexit, is that it doesn’t take much for supplies of any kind to get held up on the way to Blighty.
What is also strange is that there doesn’t seem to have been any attempt, unlike Hearts in 2017, to move games away from home and reverse fixtures with other Premiership teams.
This, although creating a difficult opening run of league games, would have minimised the costs incurred by Rangers by renting Hampden.
Rangers board, full of very intelligent individuals, seems to have taken the contractors word as gospel with not one of them suggesting that there should be a plan B.
It’s easy to see none of them served in the military, and if they did, they weren’t listening.
Dave King’s arrival back in Scotland has coincided with Rangers vocalising the current situation, hopefully he stays a bit longer to sort a few other things out too.
