John Bennett has set a best case scenario Ibrox return date of late September after Rangers struck a deal to move to Hampden for the first months of the new campaign.
But the chairman today braced supporters for a potential delay to that timeframe as he outlined the shipping issues that have caused serious setbacks to the ongoing renovation works in the Copland Stand.
Bennett revealed earlier this summer that Rangers would be unable to start the season at Ibrox and talks soon began over potential moves to Murrayfield or Hampden. The board confirmed a fortnight ago that it is at the home of Scottish football where Philippe Clement's side will host their first fixtures of the new domestic campaign and their upcoming European matches.
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The first of three shipments of steel arrived in Glasgow in recent days. But two further vessels are not due to dock until the second and third weeks of August respectively and any further delays would mean an extended period away from Ibrox this term.
"When I think about timelines, it is an aspiration at this stage because again I am caveating it and there is still uncertainty," Bennett said as he addressed supporters for the first time in an interview with RangersTV. "If I think about timelines, clearly it is about the timeline of us returning to our home, which we all desperately want.
"Clearly after the September international break and it is a case of how long after the September international break? We can aspire, aspire, for that to be at the end of September but it is an aspiration.
"I am sorry that I have to caveat this, it frustrates me so much that I have to caveat it, but I think I have given the reasons I have to caveat it – the shipping situation. Yes I can have an aspiration to get our people back into our home for the final game of September. But, yes, it could slip beyond that."
Rangers kick-off their campaign at Tynecastle this weekend before hosting Motherwell and Ross County on Premiership duty. Clement's side are in Champions League action next month and also have a home fixture against St Johnstone on the weekend of August 17/18.
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Bennett thanked the Scottish FA and the SPFL for their assistance in ensuring Rangers can take to the field at the national stadium. And he insisted Hampden was always the first choice once the Ibrox issues were revealed.
Bennett said: "When I got the call in June that all those assurances that the board had received, both written and verbal, that all was on time… When I was told that was not the case you then have to get a grip of it and you have to act, implement contingency.
"Now, what I wanted from that moment when we realised we had to decant – and we are not the first club that has had to decant and we won’t be the last – I said to the board that the number one aim here as we decant is maximise the number of our fans that can follow their team and minimise the disruption to those fans.
"For me, of course the prime choice, and we had some choice and some options, for me prioritise Hampden for our fans. We know the geographic dispersion of our season ticket holders, etc. So a stadium big enough to house them and minimise the disruption. That is why it was all systems go for Hampden."
