Apple sponsor Rangers. The iBrox, anyone? | OneFootball

Think of the world’s most famous sports arenas, and there’s no doubt that Ibrox would be on your mind. As the home of Rangers FC, it’s a stadium redolent of history and passion. But what if I told you that the storied name by which we’ve always known it—”Ibrox”—could soon be replaced by another, thanks to a sponsorship deal with Apple? The idea might sound outlandish, but it’s not as far-fetched as you might think. In fact, the change could happen sooner than later. And you might even get to vote on it.

To start with, let’s be realistic: Apple is an enormous company, with a lot of cash to spend and a lot of brand recognition. So when rumors emerged that Apple was planning to sponsor the renaming of Rangers’ stadium, Ibrox, it made a lot of sense. The company has an enormous cash pile, and you can imagine what Rangers might be able to do with that kind of backing if they could get hold of some of it: new training facilities; improved youth development; maybe even a few star players added to the squad. And yet, for all of those potential upsides, the idea of Ibrox being renamed in the kind of deal that would make it “the Apple stadium” is an unsettling one.

Here’s where it gets compelling: what does renaming a historic site like Ibrox actually signify when it comes to our affinity for sports? Are we simply exchanging tradition for financial gain? It feels like every time you turn around, some new corporate entity has emblazoned its name on a landmark. Certainly, the money these companies fork over is huge—far more than what Rangers could scrape together on their own. But you have to ask yourself, in this particular instance: what does the “Apple” in “Apple Ibrox” mean? And at a certain point, will the fans be so alienated by these changes that they simply decide not to show up anymore? And what happens to a club when its fans don’t show up?

There must be a middle ground between the financial support these businesses offer and the preservation of the qualities that make such places unique. If any company can find a way to seamlessly blend its brand with the Ibrox tradition, Apple might be it. Imagine, rather than just slapping a logo on the side of the stadium and calling it a day, Apple committing to support community initiatives around the club. Indeed, that’s the thing about sports: whether you’re watching from the stands or from your couch at home, everyone has a stake in this. We should be talking about not just who “owns” sporting spaces but also how they’re being used and even how they’re being misused.