How the SPFL plans to deal with Rangers' Ibrox closure as Neil Doncaster recalls own stadium turmoil

Scottish Professional Football League chief executive Neil Doncaster has promised to be flexible but fair in dealing with Rangers’ stadium issues.

Delays to the shipment of materials mean upgrades to the Copland Road stand at Ibrox Stadium mean Rangers expect their first few games of the season to be impacted.

Doncaster stressed the SPFL would be working with Rangers to help them through their predicament.

Motherwell and Ross County are both scheduled to visit Ibrox in the first three games of the new William Hill Premiership season, following the publication of the fixtures earlier.

Ibrox is set to be unavailable to Rangers during the early part of the season. | SNS Group

Rangers will also have a Premier Sports Cup second-round tie on August 17, and are due to play in the Champions League qualifiers.

Supporters are awaiting news about how the situation will affect them amid reports that moving games to Murrayfield is a potential option.

Former Norwich chief executive Doncaster was asked about the situation on Sky Sports News.

He said: “Unfortunately these things do happen. I used to run a club and we had to build a stand and worked very closely with the league to ensure our fixtures went ahead with only three parts of the ground available.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster experienced stadium redevelopment at Norwich City. | SNS Group

“Now the fixtures are out, we will be liaising with Rangers. Obviously they have a far better handle on the works than we do.

“We will be doing our best to work with them to try to get them through what is clearly a difficult situation.

“I have been very impressed with the way that the new chairman, John Bennett, has tried to strengthen relationships across the game and we will certainly be looking to work with him and his team to be as flexible as we can be whilst being fair to everyone else.”

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