Ibrox supporters desperately cling to the hope their Ibrox exile will only be for two games. The reality is their next opponents at Ibrox will be Celtic

So, it was finally officially announced yesterday that Hampden Park would become the Ibrox side’s temporary home for the foreseeable future.

I say foreseeable because any person with half a brain can see it will stretch beyond their first two home games of the season.

Yet many bears are desperately clinging to the hope it will only be for two games.

A couple of days ago, Born Celtic revealed that according to UEFA rules, at the beginning of any European competition, the stadium selected as a club’s home stadium must remain their home stadium for the duration of their participation.

In other words, if the Ibrox side manage to qualify for European competition, then Hampden must remain their home venue for as long as they participate.

Now, there’s a distinct chance this might not come to pass at all, as effectively, the Ibrox side has lost home advantage for the Champions League qualifiers due to having to switch to Hampden.

They will also lose half of the revenue they would make for these games to the SFA.

However, if they managed to qualify for either the Champions League or Europa League, then Hampden would have to remain their venue.

Thus diluting the amount of revenue available to them in comparison to what they would make at Ibrox.

Of course, I’m sure John Bennett has done all of his homework and research on this.

He may think that UEFA will be sympathetic if he comes to them begging for a dispensation, and a free pass to return to Ibrox.

Due to extenuating circumstances and all that.

However, UEFA are not the SFA, and they do not bend their rules like the banana republic that is our national association.

In reality, Bennett knows there is no way they’re going to be back at Ibrox by September.

He just won’t come clean with the Ibrox support.

Bennett will reveal the truth in dribs and drabs, and the loyal bears will accept it.

Just like they always do.

You also have to take into account that the Ibrox side has agreed to pay for the cost of bringing the Hampden turf up to spec, as stated in an article in yesterday’s Sun:

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.

Now, if they weren’t going to be there for the foreseeable, do you think they would fork that out money for potentially just four matches?

Yet, over on follow follow, optimistic bears are holding out hope that they’ll only be at Hampden to take on Motherwell and Ross County.

Have a look at some of the latest comments on the popular forum:

We ought to brace ourselves for the long haul here.

I guess some bears are being more realistic than others…

Further along, one commenter by the name of DeepHeat seems to realise the whole stadium fiasco has landed his beloved club in deep water:

The last line of his comment is telling.

There’s a clear awareness that this is going to cost the Ibrox club dearly.

And unfortunately for them, that’s the reality here.

No matter what way their board tries to spin this, it’s going to put a huge hole in their finances.

Finances that were already under serious strain.

The fact that Celtic are getting their transfer business properly under way now is ominous for them.

In a season where all of their records, and their hubris with it, stand to be wiped out, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

This final comment on follow follow pretty much sums it up:

If Celtic become officially the most successful club in Scottish football history, well, that is really going to kick them forcefully in the Lou Rawls!

This is going to be one of the best season’s yet!

Bring it on!