Rangers fans forum Q&A explained

Brief notes from Rangers first ever Fans forum held at New Edmiston house.

In attendance for Rangers

James Bisgrove, CEO
Greg Marshall, Head of Fan Engagement & SLO
David Milburn, Customer Service Manager
Natalie Nairn, Head of Retail & Events
Robert Boyle, Head of Digital & Content
John MacFarlane, Facilities Manager
John Speirs, Disability Access Officer

Josh Hollywood Head of Corporate

Nick Thomson, Head of Communications

– Introduction from each

Key points from intro’s

Sports bar to open in January, plans well underway.

Museum Gift store to open next month.

Fan engagement strategy, first in Scotland to create such a strategy. Desire to create a close bond with the support.

Ibrox stadium to be the most accessible across the UK for disabled supporters.

Pre submitted Questions (Brief notes – Key points)

James Bisgrove – Stadium expansion– ST renewal rate 99%, 10,000 on waiting list. From board meetings, real appetite to expand capacity of Ibrox. 3 year disabled plan will expand capacity by 600 overall. Mid to long term, the corners where screens are, potentially 3000/4000 additional seats each corner, cost £20-25m in total. Potential to partially fill 1300 seats each corner cost of £8m. Lowering the pitch, 4500 seats, £15-20m major investment. Being massively explored.

Robert Boyle – Trophy Room/ Museum – Major job as we have so much memorabilia, various visits to major museums to make sure we get this right. Been a five year project. Museum split into nine zones each telling a different theme of our history. Includes temporary exhibition space which can be used if there is something to celebrate. Some items from trophy room will move. No major changes to trophy room, some items will move however.

John McFarlane – Stadium facilities upgrade – Pitch investment, LED lights upgrade both Ibrox and training ground. Under soil heating upgrade at Ibrox pitch. Lift upgrades, one more to do then all upgrading. Press room upgrade. Main Stand heating upgrade, major boiler works throughout stadium. Significant improvements throughout stadium.

James Bisgrove on above – Basic facility upgrade is key, like the toilets and in and around the stadium. Like the tarmac footprint outside. So much we want to do, not only about showy projects but also basics.

David Milburn Supporters move – Looking at ways of improving atmosphere, singing section is being looked at and various positions will be tried throughout the stadium. Desire, for greater good, to maximise stadium atmosphere. Will work with supporters who have been moved.

Greg Marshall on that – Atmosphere improvement for greater good, fan surveys have pointed to fans all wanting a better atmosphere within the stadium. Will work with any fans being moved, with Disabled work and fan singing section.

Josh Hollywood catering update – Levy with us eleven months, club keep 74% of all profit across the club. Demand for restaurant huge, generating 80k profit a month. Levy huge on new sports bar, will be first in Glasgow to have self pour beer. Levy made huge investment in the club, restaurant rebuild. Working with Levy on vending machine ideas to reduce waiting times during games. Very excited about self order booths in Copland rear, can pre order food and pay then collect. Hopefully helps waiting time and fan experience.

Floor open to questions –

– Complaints about Rangers platform for items. No app for example.

– Robert Boyle – Agrees, so many different partners, so many different way of working. Have listened with ticketing website and will fix that. Trying to redefine fifteen years of business practice but understand the point and working hard to fix it, for likes of single sign on throughout on line (Shop, ticketing etc). Plans for the app supported by the board, plans for the next twelve to twenty four months.

– A lot said about match day experience, let ourselves down with treatment of travelling supporters. Everything difficult where we go, Easter Road dangerous overcrowding and cattle like treatment.

Greg Marshall – Start with Hibs, extremely difficult last season’s midweek game. It is known and some changes were made which helped for last fixture, will continue to work with them to improve things. Aberdeen issues at last game, really poor day organisational wise, have challenged Aberdeen but positive dialogue has happened. Constantly engaging with other clubs across country to improve our treatment.

– How are we going to be more creative in revenue income plans?

James Bisgrove – So important we maximise income, four pillars are vital and revenue has grown to £85m last year which is record levels. Very close with Uefa for making decisions which is to benefit maximising our revenue.

– Disabled parking spaces, can’t get one.

John Spiers – We have 100 spaces in Albion but stadium footprint is under complete review from the club. We are tied to allocation from away games/Hampden. We have 160 tickets for Hampden but only 43 allocated parking spaces so outwith our control, we have fed back to them on this. We have doubled the recommended spaces at Ibrox.

– Corporate travel to Europe, do we have a travel partner?

James Bisgrove – CTM service and delivery completely unacceptable and non delivery for that is the reason they are no longer partners. Destination Sport is our new partner and we will communicate on that very early.

Greg Marshall – Understand pricing issues, Ajax situation was horrendous and apologies on that from the club. We will be pushing early decisions and confident we will get that early information to supporters.

– On the app, is digital ticketing a possibility?

Robert Boyle – Yes! Short answer is exactly what we are looking at, looking at best solution for the support.

– Safe standing update?

James Bisgrove – Trialing singing section areas to get idea of best possible place. We see across Europe benefit to the atmosphere, I know and believe it can improve Ibrox. It has been discussed at Board meeting, the next six to twelve months should tell us more. Stadium architects are working on plans.

– Liepzig exemplary disabled access, are the board watching on that? Is there a way with away tickets Rangers could recognise mobility issues within the support?

John Spiers – Accessibility is a great point, it is an issue we are seriously looking at also. Looking to develop 250 amenable seats straight from the lift at Ibrox.

– Update on commission of Walter Smith statue?

Robert Boyle – Well underway, working very closely with Smith family to ensure everything is correct. Very proud of what has been done so far.

– CF3 haven’t been updated or properly advised on potential moves.

Greg Marshall – You will be front of the list, ideally the new spaces created by adding to front of Broomloan and Copland.

James Bisgrove – Celtic allocation is not agreed yet, likely same smaller allocation this season. Unlikely Celtic will ever get Broomloan back (Claps from fans), a long way to go on any changes.

– Commerical strategy, impact to fans with MyGers, feels like a tax. How do we not alienate fans?

James Bisgrove – Fine balance, don’t take support for granted. We got Champions League package wrong and we appreciate that. We want to get balance right.

Natalie Nairn – On MyGers income, direct into the first team, ambition to reach 60k members this year. No perfect solution but context is 15000 applications for Aberdeen but we get less than 1000 tickets. Ticketing isn’t perfect but impossible situation.

– Brand protection, what are we doing to protect our club reputation?

James Bisgrove – Very fair question, have taken learnings from commercial deals that have went wrong. Paramount is protecting the brand. Financially NFT was great but ultimately we got it wrong, I understand that and don’t get everything right, I apologise for that.

– Commercial revenues have increased, is there a strategy for multi national sponsors for our brand but no big company attached?

James Bisgrove – We should aspire to global blue chip brands, Seko, Cadburys, EA Sports are that but we constantly meet brands and travel the world to try and do that. Return on European stage, run to Seville has helped, new partners are coming on board.

– Passion for 66 fans we lost in Ibrox disaster. Possible for memorial where it happened?

John Spiers – We are working closely to develop the foot print and plans in place as part of that design. It’s a wee bit away but hugely important to us all.

James Bisgrove – We are committed to that. Something staff and board are committed too.

– Hospitality question, Will we be priced out in years to come?

James Bisgrove – 5% increase this season but below inflation. What we want to do is make sure is there is something for everyone, don’t have immediate plans to increase majorly beyond what we have done.

– Major staff reshuffle, what stages are we at to make appointments?

James Bisgrove – Right at start of Sporting director appointment. Close to announcing a new Director of academy and Finance director, as well as Women’s manager. Top calibre individuals and will be available to announce next 4-5 weeks.

Commercial partnership growth question.

James Bisgrove – Increase to partnerships is happening, especially with Hamburg. We are working hard with them.

Ends