And in the second part of our ‘Return to Ibrox’ series, following on from the praise that ex-Chairman John Bennett deserves for getting Rangers home, is the fact that Rangers’ restoration to our spiritual abode means a tonne of brand new players to Rangers are going to experience the Hallowed Turf for the first time.
All the new summer signings have had to tolerate the dump that is Hampden, because let’s face it Hampden is an absolutely horrible football stadium with which Rangers just had to ‘make do’ for a couple of months, and now they will get to experience Rangers’ proper home at last.
Liam Kelly has been at Rangers before, so he doesn’t technically count, but Robin Propper, Connor Barron, Nedim Bajrami, Vaclav Cerny, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, Hamza Igamane and Jefte will all (potentially, if they feature) find themselves debuting their first appearances at Rangers’ proper home, and it is quite the experience.
As manager Philippe Clement put it, it’s an amazing place if you’re doing well, not so friendly at times if you’re not, and it takes a strong-willed player and mind to handle that level of pressure.
With Rangers currently languishing borderline midtable having dropped five points of a possible 15, the pressure of must-win, which was already high at Hampden, is now fever pitch at Hampden.
Naturally it’s cup action this weekend, so no points on offer, but a place in the semi finals of the league cup are up for grabs against a side having made a very solid start this season, with a few draws, a win and a loss – they sit 6th.
So this won’t be a cakewalk for sure, and Rangers, already a must-win club and always have been, have the pressure of must-win yet again for the debutants at our own stadium.
It adds a lot of extra intrigue, how will Philippe Clement set things up, what bonkers XI will he compile this week and will fans once again be bewildered with Kieran Dowell inexplicably in the starting eleven?
But whatever he sends out, must win – and at least seven players stand to make their maiden bows in Govan at long long last.
How will these lads respond to the pressure?
We’ll find out!