SIR Sean Connery is among a host of celebrities who have enjoyed VIP hospitality over the years at the home of Glasgow Rangers.
But 007, not to mention thousands of paying fans, would doubtless be more than a little shaken and stirred to learn that the club was shown the yellow card by food hygiene officials.
Scotland on Sunday can reveal that public health inspectors foun
d beetles and flies in kitchens at Ibrox Stadium.
The discovery of insects in cooking and food storage areas was one of a catalogue of hygiene breaches unearthed in an inspection, which took place 18 months ago but has only now been made public.
Rangers said last night they had fixed the problem completely within three weeks of the report.
One kitchen, which was infested with sewage flies, was adjacent to the club's prestigious Thornton Suite, which hosts champagne receptions and five-course meals.
Well-heeled VIP fans spend up to £5,460 a season to reserve a table in the executive hospitality area next to the manager's office.
Rotting food and a bucket of stagnant water were also discovered in meal preparation areas. The inspectors reported:
• Dermestes beetles in a Members' Lounge kitchen store;
• Filter flies in both the Thornton Suite and Argyle Suite kitchens;
• "Putrefying food matter" in the Members' Lounge kitchen store;
• A bucket of dirty water in the Members' Lounge kitchen;
• Condensation from the ceiling dripping onto food in the walk-in freezer in the main kitchen;
• Defective dishwashers, filthy ventilation grilles and grease filters, out-of-date marmalade, loose ceiling panels, uncovered ice cream, sugar and flour being stored, broken plasterwork and flaking paint in the chairman's kitchen.
The report also ordered the club to remove a disused and obsolete fish fridge from the main kitchen, to subject other food preparation areas to a "deep clean before use" and to repair missing grouting from kitchen floor tiles.
It also demanded that the populations of flies and beetles be eradicated and states: "It is recommended that access to the kitchens be limited to food handlers only."
The results of the inspection have been put into the public domain by the Environmental Protection Services department of Glasgow City Council.
Corporate hospitality is a huge money-spinner for the SPL leaders.
Rangers operates a host of restaurants, bars, lounges and executive boxes in the stadium, with prices ranging from £90 for a match-day table in the Symon Lounge to more than £5,400 for a season-long package at the plush Thornton Suite and Club Deck Boxes.
The club's portfolio describes its hospitality facilities as "unbeatable". It states: "Ibrox hospitality is about more than just watching football in style. Visits from Rangers legends and current first-team players are part of the experience, plus tours of the famous Trophy Room."
The blue-carpeted Thornton Suite, where flies were found in the kitchen, is billed as the ultimate in match-day luxury. "The Suite symbolises the heritage that has made Rangers one of the most celebrated clubs in the world. Surrounded by some of Ibrox's most famous rooms, guests experience first-hand the unique atmosphere.
"Guests enter via the main door, exclusive to VIPs and players, and proceed via the marble staircase to a champagne reception before enjoying a five-course meal in luxurious surroundings."
The club boasts that the Members' Lounge, where beetles and rotting food were found in the kitchen and in a store, "will make an impression on any guest".
Sir Sean, perhaps the best-known Rangers fan and a close friend of club chairman David Murray, has received VIP hospitality at Ibrox on several occasions. Comedian Andy Cameron and current Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist have hosted match-day receptions for fans at the stadium.
According to one council pest control expert, Dermestes, or larder, beetles – which are black or brown and can grow to a third of an inch long and live for a year – cause considerable problems in kitchens.
He said: "They feed on almost any material that is rich in protein and attack meats, cheese, fish and dried foods."
The facilities at Rangers' arch-rivals Celtic were also inspected. They received far less criticism although they were also taken to task over a few matters. Inspectors called on the club to monitor and record the temperature of all food being cooked, cooled and reheated in their Kerrydale kitchen and ordered them to repair missing ceiling tiles, a missing grille and replace a floor covering.
Their cleaning, cleanliness and pest control standards were reported to be "generally satisfactory".
Staff at the national stadium at Hampden were ordered to clean a walk-in fridge, piping behind the ovens, an extraction grille and a kitchen floor surface, and to repair broken tiles, flaking paint, missing ceiling panels and damaged door seals.
Partick Thistle, received a clean bill of health for the facilities at Firhill Stadium.
A Rangers spokeswoman said: "The points raised were addressed to the complete satisfaction of the inspectors within three weeks. We have an excellent standard of hygiene."
The full article contains 848 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
