Rangers insider shares what 49ers have learned from first season at Ibrox and 'big problem' they had to fix

They’ve had their fair share of ups and downs - but 49ers Enterprises have set Rangers up for long-term success according to an Ibrox ambassador.

Mark Hateley returned to an ambassador role in Govan during 2024 and was present at one of Danny Rohl’s training sessions earlier this month alongside a host of Ibrox legends. He’s also had chats with Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh amid his first season at the helm, following last year’s takeover of the Premiership title chasers, alongside 49ers Enterprises.

Things got off to a rocky start after a poor summer transfer window and the appointment of Russell Martin as head coach ended calamitously. Rohl has replaced him well and has the club back in a title fight, ahead of this weekend’s Old Firm with Celtic, sitting four points off leaders Hearts. From speaking with Cavenagh, Hateley feels major lessons have been learned by the Ibrox powerbrokers, but foundations for the long-term are in place.

What impact have the 49ers made at Rangers?

"I think getting what they want,” said Hateley when asked on how the 49ers would gauge success in their first year at Ibrox. “A manager, that was a big problem at the start of the season. Lessons learned there, I think. Talking to Andrew Cavenagh, I think lessons learned, big lessons. Investment into management and team.

“Building that trust that you need to have in a young manager as well and his team and a young team that we have. It's a new environment for a lot of people this year. It's been a hard year but it's been a massively encouraging, educational year, for a lot of people. They've all taken that on board, which is great to see.

“I think we know where we are right now in the grand scheme of things. We're by no means a finished article. We've still got a long way to go but we have had a good foundation that's been put in. I think everybody is pulling in the right direction right now."

Mark Hateley on Rangers vs Celtic

A huge doubler header with Celtic now awaits, where the Light Blues could all but eliminate the Hoops from one title contention this week, and then take them out the Scottish Cup on March 18th. Rangers’ striking hero formerly of AC Milan and Monaco insists focus needs to be on what’s next rather than a pair of matches.

”It's a 90-minute game,” said Hateley. “You don't look for the next game. You're just dealing with this right now. Win the game, by hook or by crook, and then you move on to the next game, and then you win that game.

“It's not about putting one over and setting an atmosphere for the following week. That's by the by. Obviously, if you win the game, you're in a good space to go on again, and it's a good training week. You deal with this as it is, as a one-off. It's a league game. You focus on this and the outcome will then dictate what happens next week in training and how the team is selected next week.”