Pictures of 'The Old Lady' Home of Rangers FC

[Bearman 9]

I found some pics on Google and was wondering if anyone out there knows the history of the Stadium. I'm sure most of us know the Main Stand was built in 1928 because of the date on the side of the building, so these pictures got me thinking...

 

This one from 1920 shows a small main stand, that says 'Bovril' on the front...

 

 

...the next picture from 1927 shows a building of sorts in front of the old stand...

 

 

...a close-up of the same pic...notice the shadow of the outer wall of where the main stand is today...

 

 

...this pic from around the same time (1927) shows what seems to be the main entrance as it appears today (well part of it) it definitely resembles the centre part with the first floor showing 3 windows on each side of the wider window above the door, all the 'arches' which are part of the Stadium today can be seen clearly in this photo...

 

 

...the next picture (dated 8th December 1928) although not of sharp quality looks to me as if building of the main stand is in progress, note the left side of the first floor has extended right across to the end, but the right side has not...and still no second floor...

 

 

It looks as though the fascia is being constructed with the old 'Bovril' stand still in place, was this the case? If so, it seems (to me anyway) that the seating within the main stand may actually be older than the Archibald Leitch stand itself.

 

What was 'bugging' me is the date of the last picture - 8th December 1928 - which begs my question:

 

Is the date on the side of the stand 1928, the START date of the build rather than the completion date?

[Rangersitis 0]

The first picture shows the South Stand which was replaced by the Main Stand and The Pavilion (top right). The Bovril Stand had been moved from the first Ibrox and was removed at the same time as the main stand was built, with a smaller, barrel-shaped roof then covering the rear part of the North Enclosure.

 

The building in front of the old South Stand was the first phase of Leitch's project and it consisted of a two-storey, red brick building which housed the offices and boardroom up the marble staircase with the dressing rooms and gymnasium on the ground floor. It was started in 1926 and opened in August of the following year.

 

The new Main Stand was both started and completed in 1928 and was officially opened on January 1st 1929. Rangers beat Celtic 3-0 that day, taking the lead for the first time in head to head victories. My favourite Rangers quote was made that day by the wonderful Jimmy Bowie.

 

"This is our magnificent new Main Stand. It holds ten thousand people and we could fill it ten times over with young boys who want to play for The Rangers."

[Frankie 8,145]

Love look at old photos such as these!