RANGERS Football Club was proud to mark a significant milestone in its ongoing commitment to accessibility and inclusive supporter engagement, as more than 170 disabled supporters attended a meeting at Edmiston House on Thursday 26 March to begin the formation of a new Rangers Disabled Supporters Association (RDSA).
Held as part of the AccessibAll Week of Action, the event brought together supporters, club representatives and key stakeholders to establish the foundations of a new, independent association representing disabled Rangers supporters across a wide range of access needs.
The strong turnout reflected both the demand for structured representation and the importance of accessibility within the Rangers support.
Greg Marshall, Head of Supporter Engagement, opened the session before Executive Director, Fraser Thornton, spoke on behalf of the club, emphasising the importance of disabled supporters having their voices heard and shaping their own representation.
Billy Paterson, Chair of Rangers Disabled Supporters Club and member of the Disability Matters Group, provided background on the journey to this point and set out his vision for what the RDSA could achieve.
The floor was then opened for discussion, and the response was immediate, with dozens of supporters putting themselves forward to be involved, reflecting a genuine appetite for active participation in building the association from the ground up.
Head of Supporter Engagement, Greg Marshall, said: "Thursday's event was a real statement of intent from our disabled supporters, and we were proud to host it. The turnout alone tells you how important this is. 170 people came together because they want to shape their own representation, and the club is fully behind that."
The RDSA represents a fresh start for organised disabled supporter representation at Rangers.
While the club has a history of disabled supporter advocacy, the new association has been built from the ground up to reflect the full range of barriers faced by disabled supporters, moving beyond any single access need towards a truly inclusive and representative model.
John Speirs, Disability Access Officer, continued: "Accessibility isn't one-size-fits-all, and that's exactly why an association like this matters. The RDSA will provide a structured, independent voice that leads the conversation on access, one that genuinely reflects the range of barriers our supporters face and how we remove them together. This is a really positive step forward."
Level Playing Field, an accessibility charity working across football in England and Wales, attended to share experiences from disabled supporter groups and highlight best practice in building effective, independent associations.
The previous week, Level Playing Field delivered Disability Access Officer training to the Fan Engagement Team, further developing the club's in-house expertise ahead of the event.
While their remit is primarily outside Scotland, they have offered to support the RDSA as it develops, providing useful perspective and connection to wider disabled supporter networks across the game.
The RDSA will operate as an independent association, with its governance and structure to be determined by its members as it develops.
The club will continue to support the process, and the RDSA will work alongside the existing Disability Matters Group, with the precise nature of that relationship to be defined as the association takes shape.
What is clear is that disabled supporters will lead this process on their own terms.
The focus now turns to progressing the RDSA's structure, governance and membership ahead of the new season, a process that will be driven by disabled supporters themselves.
Billy Paterson, Chair of Rangers Disabled Supporters Club and member of the Disability Matters Group, added: "This has been a long time coming, and the response from supporters on Thursday was everything we could have hoped for. We're building something that represents all disabled Rangers supporters, not just those with one specific need. We need people to step forward and lead this; the more voices involved, the stronger the association will be. I'd encourage anyone who wasn't there to get involved as we move this forward."
Disabled supporters who wish to get involved are encouraged to register their interest by emailing [email protected], where a registration form is available.
VIP HOSPITALITY: Combining all the passion, excitement and joy of football with an unrivalled choice of suites and packages, a matchday at Ibrox can be exactly what you want it to be
SOCCER ACADEMY: Kicking off from 18 months old, with classes across Scotland and Northern Ireland, available term-time and holidays
ASK RANGERS: A dedicated platform where fans can access essential Q&As on ticketing, VIP hospitality and MyGers, and contact our Supporter Services team