Rangers’ 60,000 dream
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 22: A general view outside the stadium prior to the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Aberdeen at Ibrox Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
With all the talk recently about a 60,000-seater Ibrox, we decided to have a look into what Rangers’ plans are and what is feasible.
Vice-chair John Bennett has confirmed a midterm goal is to ‘increase’ the seating, but the plan sounds fairly limited and probably only adds around 1,000 total due to logistical restrictions. Furthermore Bennett’s concession it’s only to add the extra around Argyll House does imply it won’t be that lavish.
He further said more to be added in the long term inside 5 years but while we’re no engineers, we can’t see the seating being expanded a lot more.
As usual ‘football finance expert’ Kieran Maguire was trotted out for his engineering expertise and asked why Rangers can’t have 60,000 capacity.
Yes, that’s it – the entire 60,000 story is based on a finance expert asking why the club can’t have 60,000.
Of course he’s not completely wrong – Rangers could easily fill out a 60,000-seater Ibrox.
But the logistics make it basically impossible in practise – there have been plans to lower the pitch but these plans have been simmering for over a decade.
Ibrox’s capacity, while it could be modestly increased by about a thousand, is near enough at the roof of what it’s capable of.
And unfortunately unless engineering breakthroughs kick in over the next year or two, a further thousand or two is about as much as Rangers will be able to fit in.
It is a pity, but the logistics and engineering challenges make it very hard for Rangers to do much more seating wise with the stadium.
60,000 seems like a pipe dream.