Rangers today made two major announcements that probably won’t register ‘seismic’ on the Ibrox fans’ Richter scale, but nail exactly what Ibrox Noise was discussing barely a week ago – the work done by the club to open the brand up overseas and get more exposure.
We knew there was more to inviting K-Pop’s StayC than met the eye – indeed, it was one of an increasing number of initiatives to expand Rangers’ brand into new territories, that one being obviously South Korea.
But the recent two additions show interest in Germany and China, and those are giant markets to say the least.
The first refers to our having a partnership in China with Multi Sport and a Rangers representative by the name of Stuart Lawson, overseen by club ‘negotiator’ Gary Gibson. The simple idea is Rangers now have a man out in the biggest economy in the world, and while this plan was set up four years ago, obviously Covid held it back. Now it’s growing – the idea is to liaise, network, and grow the club in China by way of a bunch of different business ideas and the use of lots of acumen.
Gibson said this:
“We now have a full-time member of staff back in Shanghai, Stuart Lawson. He works with Multi Sport and will start to deliver the football side of it and will start to generate business on the back via the tours and individuals coming across to Scotland on our residential programmes by having a presence like we have got in Abu Dhabi. Jst having full-time members of staff on the ground makes a massive difference for us to start to generate new business through the camps, the tours, online academy and the residentials. I headed back out to Shanghai, it was a great opportunity for me to see the work that Stuart is doing and I went with the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce again, which was really positive.”
So, while Celtic exploit Japan, itself a lucrative market as well, Rangers are going for the big one – China. This is a market the West has been wary of, but we can’t deny how strong it is – if Rangers can grow the foothold here, the potential is almost limitless.
The second announcement?
This was by the Academy, and is just as important – a training and exchange system with RB Leipzig, whereby Rangers’ young players went out to train with the Bundesliga giants, at their very own Auchenhowie in Reb Bull Academy. This gave the youth the chance to work with a top UCL side in a top five Euro league and gives growth for the younger players and by force, Rangers a bit of a route into Germany.
“Our player exchange trips, which forms part of our High Potential Player Programme, fits perfect into our vision of creating the most exciting learning environment. Innovation is at the centre of what we do, and this is a great example of our outside-of-the-box thinking. It was a great first exchange and experience for the boys, and we are excited at how this will grow and further evolve.”
Zeb Jacobs talking a little bit corpo-speak yes, but Rangers are definitely being proactive and professional here.
China and Germany, and as Gibson says, Abu Dhabi as well.
There is no doubt Rangers are a different animal the past few years in how we operate, and while the financials haven’t caught fully up yet, the groundwork is there.
Will this excite fans? Probably not. But it could make a major difference 5 years down the line when the club is growing in areas we might not expect.
Sounds all good to me🫡👍
Onwards
WATP🫵
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