Drunk man scaled gates at Ibrox and stole dugout seat covers

A thief described as “drunk as a lord” managed to scale the gates of Ibrox Stadium and steal dugout seat covers.

Stephen Granger, 34, was able to run across the pitch, grab the covers, leave and then board a bus home.

The crime at Rangers’ stadium occurred on a Monday afternoon around 3pm on December 6, 2020.

Prosecutor Gemma Barclay told Glasgow Sheriff Court: “He climbed over the barrier at the south-west entrance and went across the pitch.

“He made his way to the dugout area and removed three Rangers branded seat covers.

“He continued across the west side of the stadium, climbed over a second barrier and made off.”

The dad-of-five, of the city’s Pollok, was eventually spotted by security staff getting on a bus. He was arrested by police later that day while in possession of one of the seat covers.

Granger told officers: “It was me.”

The court heard the total loss to Rangers was £240.

Granger was spotted boarding a bus by security staff.

Garvey McArdle, defending, said: “He was as drunk as a lord. The barriers are the gates emblazoned with the Rangers emblem and he scaled them, which is no mean feat.

“This was nothing to do with Rangers. It could have been Hampden or Scotstoun, the home of the Glasgow Warriors rugby team.

“He overcame security and he fell at one point hurting himself badly.”

Granger pled guilty to breaking into Ibrox and stealing a quantity of seat covers.

Sheriff Jonathan Guy ordered Granger to undertake 90 hours of unpaid work after he admitted the theft.

The sheriff told him: “This was a serious matter and clearly it was not premeditated.

“It was more a crime of stupidity.”