About stadium

Stadium introduction

The foundations for the modern Ibrox Stadium as we know it today were laid down between 1978-1981 when three out of four stands were completely rebuilt following a stadium disaster in 1971 during the Old Firm derby against long term rivals Celtic. Seen as the worst British Football disaster until Hillsborough in 1989, a crush amongst fans resulted in over 200 injuries and 66 deaths with Rangers F.C accepting a ruling that they were at fault for at least one of the deaths. Known then as Ibrox Park, the deaths of innocent fans held heavy on the conscious of the club but in reality, and as time would later prove in Sheffield, football stadiums across the United Kingdom were ill-equipped for spectators, essentially accidents waiting to happen. Former player turned executive Willie Waddel was tasked with reconstructing Ibrox and he travelled to the 1974 World Cup in Germany, citing Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion as the ideal template to follow. With only the original main stand deemed suitable to current requirements, the other three were demolished and converted to all seating which at the time was seen as a very adventurous move. The Taylor Report published in 1990 essentially vindicated the Scottish club’s first hand evidence that stadiums were unsafe although the club did retain a small amount of terracing within the one remaining Bill Struth stand. Funded by Rangers football pools operation which was the largest club run scheme in Britain, £6 million pounds was raised and although costs spiralled to £10,00 the club were on an upward trajectory with season tickets sales rising from 7,000 to 30,000 in the 1990s. Eventually the other stadiums in Glasgow caught up with Celtic Park exceeding Ibrox’s capacity which prompted Rangers to investigate the feasibility of expansion but the plans for to reach 57,000 thousand were thwarted by the Global financial crisis and more recently, the club’s administration.

How to get to the Stadium

Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow G51 2XD