Why are Rangers playing at Hampden Park?

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Rangers will play the first few weeks of the new Premiership season away from their Ibrox home

Hampden Park
Rangers are using Hampden Park as a temporary home

Rangers will play their first home game of the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season before welcoming Dynamo Kyiv to Glasgow for the second leg of their Champions League qualification game - but neither game will be held at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement's side have been away from home for both of their competitive games this season, drawing 0-0 at Hearts in the league on Saturday before rescuing a late draw against Dynamo Kyiv in Poland on Tuesday evening.

Rangers will now play the next few weeks' worth of home games four miles down the road at Scotland's national stadium Hampden Park, home to Queen's Park.

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Why Rangers aren't playing at Ibrox

Rangers have been forced to play away from their usual gaff by construction work in the Copland Stand, which was intended to be completed in the off-season but was hit by delays in the summer.

Building materials for the project did not arrive from overseas in the timescale Rangers anticipated.

Once complete, the renovation work will increase the capacity of the stand by 600.

Rangers v Heart of Midlothian – Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership – Ibrox Stadium

Ibrox is undergoing renovation work (Image credit: Jane Barlow)

As a joint SFA and SPFL statement said last month: "The arrangement includes the club’s home matches up to Scotland’s UEFA Nations League fixture at home to Poland on September 5 and the SPFL Board has approved Rangers playing such matches away from their own Registered Ground.

"As part of the agreement, Rangers have committed to fund an accelerated pitch growth programme to ensure the Hampden surface is ready for the club’s first home game."

A Rangers statement meanwhile added: "The club is continuing to work tirelessly on the Copland Stand project at Ibrox to complete that as soon as possible. As soon as the club can provide a definitive update on matches returning to our home, it will do so."

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Steven Chicken
Steven Chicken

Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.