Ibrox And Auchenhowie: Can We Afford Both?

[Hildy 0]

Scottish football is ailing. There are many reasons for this, and we could doubtless compile a long list, but most would agree that the outlook is fairly grim.

 

When we return to the top, there will be a flurry of activity for a while and the game will have a brief period of uplift as old battles fire up again, but Scottish football's best days were in the past - and in the past they will probably remain.

 

Where will this leave Rangers? Within our own support, ambition is ebbing away and aspirations to do well in Europe are evaporating.

 

If this is the future, where Rangers are content to fight for a title that has about as much prestige internationally as the Challenge Cup does domestically, unless we secure an invitation to a more lucrative and competitive league, something will surely have to give.

 

We talk just now about the possibility of losing Ibrox and/or Auchenhowie due to boardroom incompetence or perhaps something more sinister, but if Scottish football is going to continue to be a marginalised poor relation in Europe, can we really afford to retain both of them - even if the club is run in a professional and competent way?

 

Can Rangers, within the context of Scottish football, afford to retain an increasingly high maintenance stadium - and a modern training facility?

 

I'm sure we don't want to part with either, but is the sale of one of them the inevitable consequence of our football environment being so impoverished?

[BrahimHemdani 1]

is the sale of one of them the inevitable consequence of our football environment being so impoverished?

 

No it isn't; as per the thread on academies; it is absolutely vital to the future of this football club that we have a proper youth set up which would actually more than pay for itself and all the facilities at Auchenhowie; quite apart from the fact that it is a necessity for the first team to have proper training facilities. In the past it has been an important consideration in players signing for us.

[Hildy 0]

Brahim, I can see that you want to retain Auchenhowie, and I can fully understand your reasons - it is effectively where Rangers lives now - but what about the stadium itself? It's under-used and expensive to maintain.

 

Is it as much of an essential requirement as Milngavie?

 

Are you saying that we need both and that there are no circumstances where you would consider giving up one or the other?

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Brahim, I can see that you want to retain Auchenhowie, and I can fully understand your reasons - it is effectively where Rangers lives now - but what about the stadium itself? It's under-used and expensive to maintain.

 

Is it as much of an essential requirement as Milngavie?

 

Are you saying that we need both and that there are no circumstances where you would consider giving up one or the other?

 

I am having great difficulty treating your comments seriously.

 

there are no circumstances where you would consider giving up one or the other

 

Correct.

 

Ibrox Stadium has been the home of the Rangers for more than a hundred years. The main stand is a listed building. It has been the site of two terrible disasters and hundreds of famous triumphs. It is regularly filled with 40,000+ spectators. I agree that it could be better used although that was addressed to some extent when the offices were built.

 

Most important of all in my opinion is the fact that it is known throught the football world as the home of The Rangers. Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes recently said that “Celtic create a great atmosphere home and away but I still think the most intimidating stadium I have played in was when we played Rangers. Normally as a goalkeeper you block out the noise of the fans but the noise they made that night was impossible to ignore.

 

We had Henry, Ronaldinho, and Messi playing for us and I can’t think of another occasion when those three were on the same field and we didn’t score.

 

“Rangers fought like warriors that evening and I am sure a big part of their performance was down to the fans and the atmosphere they create for their players.”

 

It is one of the things that makes Rangers newco the same club as oldco: the colours are the same, the fans are the same, and we play in the same stadium with the same trophies in the cabinet.

 

I expect Ibrox Stadium to be the home of the Rangers long after I'm gone.

[Super Cooper 0]

We need both. We are supposed to be a big club. Imagine how humiliating it would be to do without one?

[Zappa 0]

Regarding what we can and can't afford, the Club's losing hundreds of thousands of pounds every month, so clearly there's significant changes required.

 

It seems pretty obvious that considerable internal cut backs are required in terms of the ways in which Ibrox, Auchenhowie and the Club as a whole is staffed, managed and run.

 

Wallace, Nash and no doubt other staff are working on how that restructuring can be best achieved, but I doubt very much if any of their proposals will involve the Club disposing of it's stadium or training ground.

[Hildy 0]

So Ibrox must not be given up, and Auchenhowie is vital to our wellbeing?

 

What will happen if the cost of retaining both becomes too great?

 

I'm not advocating their sale, but I am wondering if a harsh economic reality will put pressure on the club to release one or the other at some point in the future.

 

It's easy to put a 'not for sale' sign up, but the Scottish football landscape may make it difficult for Rangers - and Celtic - to retain a football ground and a training and administrative centre.

 

Ideally, we will keep both indefinitely, but the Scottish football environment falls a long way short of being an ideal world.

 

We thought that administration was impossible for a club like Rangers, and we were wrong.

 

We thought that liquidation could never happen to Rangers, and once again we were wrong.

 

We should at least be contemplating this scenario rather than pretending that it can't happen and then being shocked when the unthinkable actually happens.

[compo 7,030]

ibrox and the training ground must stay in full control of the club what we need is some deent scouts to bring the best of young talent to auchenhowie to turn them into footballers that's the future of our club brining through our own players it might take time but if we get it right the rewards will be high off and on the park

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Scottish football is ailing. There are many reasons for this, and we could doubtless compile a long list, but most would agree that the outlook is fairly grim.

 

When we return to the top, there will be a flurry of activity for a while and the game will have a brief period of uplift as old battles fire up again, but Scottish football's best days were in the past - and in the past they will probably remain.

 

Where will this leave Rangers? Within our own support, ambition is ebbing away and aspirations to do well in Europe are evaporating.

 

If this is the future, where Rangers are content to fight for a title that has about as much prestige internationally as the Challenge Cup does domestically, unless we secure an invitation to a more lucrative and competitive league, something will surely have to give.

 

We talk just now about the possibility of losing Ibrox and/or Auchenhowie due to boardroom incompetence or perhaps something more sinister, but if Scottish football is going to continue to be a marginalised poor relation in Europe, can we really afford to retain both of them - even if the club is run in a professional and competent way?

 

Can Rangers, within the context of Scottish football, afford to retain an increasingly high maintenance stadium - and a modern training facility?

 

I'm sure we don't want to part with either, but is the sale of one of them the inevitable consequence of our football environment being so impoverished?

We may as well chuck it if we are ever to consider not having our own stadium and decent training facility.

[Cotter 0]

Yep, the most important thing for the future of our club, in my opinion, is the establishment of an effective scouting network to feed into both the youth set up and the first team. Without it we will forever remain in a state of expensive mediocrity. Must say I'm not holding my breath - this needs to be put in place now, as the guys we bring in this coming summer will be some of the most important signings ever.