Rangers look set to delay plans to carry out further building works at Ibrox after the chaos surrounding the development of the Copland Road end this summer.
The club planned to upgrade the Broomloan and Sandy Jardine stands at the end of the current season in a second phase of works.
But after the fiasco which saw the team forced to play at Hampden at the start of this term – due to a delay in materials arriving from Asia – it’s believed that the hierarchy are having second thoughts about pressing ahead with next summer’s scheduled project.
Concerned that the tight timescale involved would require the club to rent the National Stadium from the SFA again, it’s unlikely the work will now take place as intended.
With manager Philippe Clement having to reduce the wage bill, it’s felt that the money which had been earmarked for the ongoing development of the ground would be better spent on the team.
Building work was previously held up at Ibrox after late delivery of materials
Rangers were forced to play some of their matches at Hampden as a result
Manager Philippe Clement will hope money saved on building work is spent on players
While the likely postponement of the project will mean the capacity of Ibrox will remain around 51,500, there is an acceptance at boardroom level that it’s wiser for the work to now go ahead further down the line.
Interim chairman John Gilligan recently told the club’s fan advisory board that ‘significant lessons had been learned’ over the summer, while admitting ;the scale of the project was immense’.
Gilligan also admitted that any future upgrade works of a similar level would require the club to draw up a ‘plan for a period without use of the stadium’.
When quizzed on the plans for the Broomloan and Sandy Jardine Stands, Gilligan stated that ‘any future works would be carefully considered’ but insisted ‘next season must begin at Ibrox’.
Rangers are now back at their spiritual home having been forced to play matches with Motherwell, Dynamo Kyiv, St Johnstone and Ross County at Hampden.
The temporary move followed a delay to a shipment of steel from China, which meant the Copland Road project ran behind schedule.
The club looked at options including renting Murrayfield but eventually struck a deal with the SFA.
Then chairman John Bennett, who found himself in the eye of the storm after chief executive James Bisgrove abruptly departure to Saudi Arabia, subsequently stepped down for health reasons, with Gilligan stepping up on an interim capacity.
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