Celebrations will include community engagement activities outside Ibrox before kick-off and pre-match entertainment from SCOTS Veterans Band at Edmiston House, who will also play at half-time on the pitch.
Pipe Major Scott Methven, former piper to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, will also play just prior to kick-off and representatives from each branch of the armed services will lead out the teams.
Personnel from the Royal Marines will abseil into the stadium before handing the match ball over to the referee, while the children of armed forces personnel will act as flag bearers.
At half-time, armed forces representatives, alongside representatives from the club and foundation, will display a Rangers Armed Forces Day banner on the pitch.
Fans will be able to support the Rangers Charity Foundation’s Armed Forces Fund via a can collection outside the stadium before the game. This season, the fund is aiming to raise £10,000 to be split between two service-related charities – Community Veterans Support, based in Govan, and Poppyscotland.
New pin badges, which feature the Foundation’s logo, the club’s scroll crest and a Union Flag, have been created to celebrate the club and Foundation’s enduring support for our armed forces.
The limited-edition badges will be on sale from the Foundation’s online store from today at www.rangerscharity.org.uk. Badges cost just £5, and all proceeds will support the Armed Forces Fund and the Foundation's wider work in the community.
Rangers Head Coach Danny Röhl said: “I know for our supporters, Armed Forces Day is always a very special day in the calendar.
“It will be fantastic to welcome so many service personnel to Ibrox for the match, and to celebrate the fantastic work the Rangers Charity Foundation does in support of them.”
Commander Gary Farmer, Royal Navy, added: “The Armed Forces are proud to once again see the Rangers Charity Foundation and Rangers Football Club demonstrate their unwavering support for our service community by hosting the annual Armed Forces Day event at Ibrox Stadium.
“For more than a decade, the Rangers Charity Foundation has raised vital funds for service and veterans’ charities, provided stadium tours for Armed Forces personnel, and championed support for defence personnel through meaningful partnerships with organisations, suppliers and customers, delivering real and lasting impact.
“As signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and the MOD's Gold ERS award holders, their ongoing commitment to the Armed Forces is exceptional. Our regulars, reservists, veterans and uniformed cadet organisations deeply value the support shown by the Charity Foundation, the club and its supporters, and we very much look forward to the event.”
Rangers FC and the Rangers Charity Foundation have a proud tradition of supporting our troops. The Foundation has donated over £260,000 in cash to armed forces and veterans’ charities to date, as well as significant in-kind support to a range of charities including Erskine, SSAFA, The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, ABF- The Soldiers’ Charity, Combat Stress and Poppyscotland.
The club and Foundation pledged their support to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2016, signing up for a range of initiatives designed to benefit serving personnel and veterans, and also advocate for the Armed Forces Covenant with business contacts.
This type of support earned the club and Foundation an Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award from the Ministry of Defence, making them the first club and club charity in the UK to receive this accolade. The Gold Award was renewed in 2024 for another five years in recognition of the club and Foundation’s ongoing commitment to the armed services.
Serving personnel are able to buy tickets for home league fixtures at a reduced price (subject to availability), and the foundation has delivered various programmes for veterans over the years, including its current Veterans At Ease initiative, led by the foundation’s trauma counsellor. The project supports veterans with their mental wellbeing, whether they are from the Army, Navy or RAF. Participants can expand their social circle, build confidence and resilience and enhance their support network via the programme.
The Foundation also enjoys an official affiliation with HMS Defender and membership of Lowland Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association, with the Foundation’s Chief Executive being a member of their Advocacy and Strategy Group.