The Glasgow bubble is loud, pressured and has a habit of making headlines. I’m not backing down from that. But intensity doesn’t automatically equal hostility, and it certainly isn’t the main reason players would avoid coming here. If anything, the heat is part of the pull.
Intensity isn’t unique — and it can be a selling point
Fans like to make a big thing of Glasgow’s atmosphere, and that’s fair. It’s proper football passion. But it’s not some Scottish oddity. Look at other hotbeds of support around the world — Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Naples — places where the spotlight and expectation are relentless. Players still choose to test themselves in those environments because it sharpens them, raises profiles and gives them big-game experience you simply don’t get in quieter leagues.
To be fair, not every player wants that. Some prefer a calmer stage. But plenty actively seek the pressure cooker. How many youngsters don’t dream of nights under floodlights with everything riding on the result? You can see why that appeals.
The problem isn’t the crowd — it’s the model
So if the Old Firm aren’t the obvious stepping stones they once were, let’s be honest about why. It’s about structure, recruitment, and the selling model. That’s organisational. It’s about how we scout, how we plan players’ pathways and whether our recruitment and commercial strategy convinces talent that moving here advances their careers.
Passion didn’t stop players coming in the past. Passion hasn’t changed. What has to change is how the club is run and presented. That’s where Andrew and co need to be at work — delivering on development, recruitment and the broader plan to make Rangers the attractive destination we all want them to be.
Where we go from here
Truth is, the bubble can be a badge of honour. It can be our advantage if the club’s structure matches the noise around it. We want to see strategy that turns atmosphere into a genuine selling point — better pathways, clearer recruitment, stronger commercial outreach. Do that, and the Glasgow bubble stops being a supposed liability and becomes part of what draws players here.
That’s my take. The crowd isn’t the issue. The football model is. And getting that right should be the priority.
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