lancedeangers1

I made the point in another thread that we will need a Bougherra type centre half that has the pace to recover in order to be successful with this style of football. No need to panic or be disheartened, this is part of the building process and this defeat will only improve Rangers.

Unfortunately it takes defeats like this for us to improve and move forward. The players will also get a reality check and realise the level they need to get to. Fair play to St Johnstone, no complaints.

The fans will determine a lot of the successes around the club so I think it's vital that we have our input and help the club make improvements where we all benefit.

Lol, I know mate. But it's these examples that will stimulate debate and hopefully lead to ideas that will be suitable and enjoyable. We need to think mostly of the younger generation of fans and what would be good for them.

I know there is a huge difference culturally between UK and USA sports fans and perhaps some things just wouldn't be suitable. However as you highlighted there are lots of things that we could and should be looking at.We need to be prepared to be open minded and change how we view the match day experience. Do this and we will satisfy our present loyal fans / customers whilst attracting more and more fans.

What about some specifically themed match days? For example Armed forces day seems to be a great success and an enjoyable experience for all. It also brings a lot of positive media exposure. We could have a banner, colour and flag display day where individuals and fans groups dust off all their banners and flags from past and present and fill the stadium with a massive display. I think that would look awesome and the media and sports channels would love it. That's the sort of thing that becomes viral and attracts the attention of audiences throughout the world that otherwise never see or hear much of Rangers. With some creativity we could come up with lots more suggestions which could just add some glitz and enjoyment to the match day experience. At the same time we would be raising our positive profile and adding value and revenue.

I know I'll take a few bumps for this ( but it's just an example ). At Ice hockey games there is a lot of interaction with the audience including gimmicks such as firing subway rolls into the crowd at half time. Another thing they do is sell hockey pucks that you write your name and details on and then at halftime they throw them onto the ice to see who gets closest to the centre circle etc to win a prize. Again brilliant income generating idea and great fun for the kids and fans. Doesn't necessarily even have to be half time, what about before kick off or after the game? Obviously we'd not be wanting to arm football fans with hockey pucks but we could put our own twist on this and maybe throw mini tennis ball sized footballs? Anything that enhances the overall experience should be looked at.

Spot on mate, this in itself highlights an area of the match day that Rangers aren't tapping into. I've no doubt some other clubs around Europe are and I'd like to see Rangers become leaders in the UK for all round match day satisfaction and enjoyment.

This discussion is hopefully opening other debates around match day experience which is very relevant and important. Can anyone give a view on the current pre match and half time entertainment ? There are other sports around the world that entice people to arrive earlier and stay later as part of the whole match day experience. This inevitably means more time for fans to spend money on food, drinks and merchandise etc which again benefits the club. IMO there is a need to at least explore what our competitors ( not solely football ) are offering and find innovative ways to change the historic football match mindset and routine? Mark Warburton is doing his bit to evolve Rangers academy into market leaders which is fantastic and I'd like to see Rangers do the same for the fans.

It's a point I did think about and I do wonder how much license we have in such matters? I would have thought in terms of localised branding etc at our stadium we'd have the freedom to do as we please but who knows?

Anyone know what sort of attendance is expected for tonight?

You're spot on mate, this is exactly the way I see things.

I'm not worried but excited and curious to see how we cope against higher opposition. I know where the OP is coming from but I think instead of worry you probably mean cautious and are adding some reality and perspective ? Nothing wrong with that.

No mate,( Lancedean ) is totally unrelated to my name.

Cracking video. Beloved stadium.

In conjunction with some of the proposed stadium maintenance issues and improvements etc I have been thinking about simple touches around the place that would add some style / value and freshen up Ibrox. We are very fortunate to have such an iconic and beautiful listed building as our main stand and we must of course always preserve those traditions and identity. However some other areas both inside and outside of the stadium could benefit from some innovative cosmetic touches. It's been a wee while since I have been over unfortunately so most of you guys are better placed to judge and appraise so I'd be interested to hear what ideas you'd have. Does anyone know if any of the fan groups etc ever have dialogue with the club as a conduit to put forward ideas and suggestions for such things? It's probably not been a priority over the last years but seeing as we are on the road again I think it's another positive step in regenerating Rangers. Ive always thought the Rangers crest and the Rangers badge should be more visible around the stadium from a marketing point of view. I'd like to see the Rangers crest on the side of the pitch in front of the dug outs ( like Barcelona ). Or maybe on the grass behind the goals or in the four corners? Is this allowed? I don't suggest going all American with vulgar branding overkill but there are aspects from the American sports industry that do appeal and make good business sense. I have some experience of rebranding and relaunching of businesses having carried out thorough business analysis and marketing projects on them beforehand. As a consequence I look at Rangers and Ibrox and feel there is so much that could be done to improve such things without spending vast sums of money. On visits to other sporting venues in the UK, Europe and in the States I've seen ideas and examples that would enhance Ibrox, bring us in line with our competitors and maximise the marketing potential of our brand. I know some will disagree but I still think Rangers and Ibrox need to modernise to align with present day football demands.

Although I have been thinking this will be a 1-1 draw I have utilised my free £10 sky bet and went for A scorecast of Waghorn to score first and Rangers to win 3-1. ( 35/1). I'd be happy with that.

I'm not usually a stickler for the right and proper category insistence but you've crossed the line here. Talking about not one but two of the most despised horrible bastard clubs in the bears den is not acceptable. We have precedent.

1-1 , win 3-1 in extra time.

Who won?

This scenario was always coming sooner or later. What do you expect teams to do when they know they'll get hammered if they open up? Our start to the season has frightened teams into focusing almost entirely on stopping us from playing. If you offered any team in the league a point before playing us every one of them would take it. This is the reality we face and we will need to prepare for it.

Coerver is probably the most respected coaching name for youths around and I'm delighted that Rangers have become involved with it. As a coach of a junior football team myself I've been an admirer of Coervers methods, philosophy and excellence for quite a while and I can assure anyone unfamiliar with Coerver that this is a fantastic move by the club. Top renowned coaches throughout Europe endorse and rave about it. Well done again Rangers.

What's the best thing to use for slugs in your garden Ally?

I predicted that tonight so not surprised. However I was surprised to see Romania held to a draw. Top of the table with two matches left is a good position to be in. Let's get over the line.

Whenever we get ourselves established back at the top of Scottish football as Champions and have all the other necessary football and business mechanics aligned throughout the club then yes we should definitely consider what is in the clubs best interests financially. However we are a long way from achieving those goals and until then we need to be adding quality and value to the team on the pitch and in our academy, this is what we get us to the top. We will need to cultivate and sell on players in the future in order to balance the books but our sole focus until such times should be treasuring the gems that we have.