The Scottish professional football club Rangers F.C. recently updated supporters on their plans to upgrade and improve facilities for disabled fans at their residence – the Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland – with the overall stadium capacity also set to rise.
‘RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB’ stated that at a meeting of the club’s board recently, a phased series of works was agreed, with that beginning this Summer with further construction scheduled for the Summers of 2024 and 2025 to provide Ibrox with the best disabled facilities of any stadium in Scotland and become one of the most accessible sports arenas in Europe.
The Rangers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the Govan district of Glasgow which plays in the Scottish Premiership. Although not its official name, it is often referred to as Glasgow Rangers outside Scotland.
The Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium on the South side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox area of Glasgow, Scotland. The home of Rangers Football Club, Ibrox is the third largest football stadium in Scotland, with an all-seated capacity of 50,817.
‘RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB’ further stated that the Summer periods have been chosen to ensure regular season matches are not disrupted by this essential work.
In all, this significant investment will take the number of spaces for wheelchair users to 270, while 700 general access seats will also be added. Upon completion, the capacity of Ibrox will be in excess of 51,500.
The Board have also reaffirmed their intention to improve facilities for all supporters, with a phased program of concourse and toilet refurbishment also under review.
Phase One will commence in a matter of weeks and will include key structural works in the Broomloan and Copland Stands. This work will not impact season ticket holders in these stands for 2023-2024.
This work will include:
- Extending the concourses to create space for additional accessible toilets;
- Creating additional accessible kiosk points; and
- Alterations for the installation of lifts to the accessible platforms.
Phase Two will be undertaken during the 2024 close season. Season ticket holders in the Broomloan and Copland stands affected by this essential work will be consulted throughout the process and alternative seating will be identified.
This work will include:
- The creation of new platforms to accommodate new wheelchair spaces; and
- The construction of cantilevers to house new, general access seating.
Phase Three will then be undertaken in the close season of 2025, with the Sandy Jardine Stand becoming the focus. Again, season-ticket holders affected by the essential work will be fully consulted and offered alternative seating.
This work will include:
- Installation of additional, accessible seating within the Sandy Jardine stand. This will involve the loss of some seats, however, this will be mitigated with additional seating being installed in the Broomloan and Copland Stands.
Commented John Spiers, Rangers Disability Access Officer, “These fantastic plans will provide Rangers’ disabled supporters with some truly world-class accessible facilities. The club are aware our current offering for disabled supporters is not good enough for a club of our standing, however, these works will ensure that the Rangers will provide the highest standard of accessibility for our disabled supporters. They will be able to attend matches in significantly more comfort, with hugely improved access to the stadium, as well as fully accessible facilities and views of the match. I look forward to the completion of these works and to welcoming so many more disabled supporters to Ibrox in the coming seasons.”
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