Rangers on track to hit 'aspirational' Ibrox Stadium return target as final steel shipment arrives bang on schedule

Rangers are on course to be back at Ibrox by the end of next month after taking delivery of the third and final shipment of steel in the timescale outlined by chairman John Bennett.

Bennett put a caveated timelineof after the September international break as a potential return point to Ibrox in an interview last month when he updated fans on the situation. That was on the basis all three shipping consignments – delayed in coming from the Far East – arrived by the third week of August. And Record Sport can reveal that the last of the three loads have now arrived.

And that means, assuming all other construction work on the Copland Road stand goes to plan, Rangers could face Hibs in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on the last weekend of September, as had been Bennett's "aspiration". Sunday's Premier Sports Cup quarter final draw means Rangers also have a home game prior to that against Dundee, although it remains to be seen if that's a realistic target.

Bennett said at the time: "When I think about timelines, clearly after the September international break. We can aspire for that to be at the end of September. It is an aspiration. It could slip beyond that. Our situation is that we have three consignments on three vessels making their way to Glasgow. Vessel number one has arrived – it is in Glasgow and we await two and three.

“With vessels two and three, I have been straining to get certainty and its the one thing we crave. I can’t give it and it’s an understatement to say that is frustrating. It’s more than that. With delivery number two, as things stand, subject to further slippage and it frustrates me to have to caveat it that way – is scheduled to arrive in Glasgow on the second week of August. Shipment number