Here is every word Commercial director James Bisgrove said to the club TV station about the decision to play Celtic in Australia in November.

“We’ve accepted an invitation to participate in the inaugural Sydney Super Cup. 

“That’s an opportunity that has arisen due to the extended winter break due to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar so there will be a five-week break in the Premiership and we have received an offer from the New South Wales government to participate in the tournament. 

“It’s a four-team tournament, we will play two games. It will be an eight-day trip and it’s something we have worked very closely with Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the football department to put in place. 

“We have been in negotiations for a few weeks for this particular opportunity and to be frank it’s a sizeable benefit for the club from a commercial perspective. I think an extent that we have never had an offer of this level for two friendly games for an international tournament so it’s something the board have looked at and unanimously feel is a positive opportunity for Rangers Football Club. 

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“To put some context around this, we’ve spoken before and Stewart Robertson has spoken before about the broadcasting and media values here in Scotland and the club’s view on that has been well documented. The participation in this event over eight days will benefit the club to the same level as an entire season in the SPFL Premiership for two friendly games.  

“So when we talk about wanting to maximise the commercial potential of this football club we felt this was an opportunity that really helps us to achieve that ambition. 

“We have spoken before about this season being one we can achieve a very high revenue target commercially. We have spoken about this at the AGM around the £27.9m which is far higher than we have ever achieved before and this is another step to allow us to maximise some of that potential as a club. 

“We have a huge, huge fan base and we recognise the international nature of that is something that should be celebrated. We see from various data points, we see that Australasia, the Far East, the Middle East, North America, right across the world there are Rangers fans that wake up all hours of the night to follow this team so to be at a level where we can go and connect with that fan base in Australia, and that is one of the sizeable fan bases we have, we have ORSA out there that are one of the biggest supporters clubs.

"We feel that it’s an opportunity to take the first team, the players not involved in the World Cup, spend just over a week there. From a football perspective, there’s a good opportunity to factor that into the winter break and as I’ve said before, commercially in terms of that international fan engagement opportunity it’s something we think is really positive. 

“We have spoken before about the recovery phase of this club and the growth phase. We have set a very high bar in terms of the strategy of this club and where we want to take it. The El Classico took place a month or so ago in Saudi Arabia, the Milan derby in China a couple of months ago Manchester United played Liverpool out in New York and I think as a club we recognise the Old Firm derby is hugely unique but we need to maximise opportunities so that when we have an offer that is unlike any offer we have had before that the club is taking those opportunities because everyone wants this club to be successful on and off the pitch. 

“And in order that we are successful on the pitch and we have positives like new signings, new contracts, investment in Ibrox stadium, investment in the new Edmiston House then we need to make sure that we are maximising commercial potential and this opportunity allows us to do that.”