IAN DURRANT says Rangers will spend the next few days working at the best summer training camp venue he’s ever experienced. The Light Blues arrived in Germany last night having flown to Munster in the hours after their friendly meeting with Bristol City at Ashton Gate. Until Saturday, they’ll be staying at the stunning Hotel Klosterpforte in sleepy Marienfeld, a short journey from Bielefeld in North-Rhine Westphalia. Portugal’s base during the 2006 World Cup, it has its own dedicated sport hotel specifically designed for football teams to train at. The likes of Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Porto have all stayed there before while it has been used most recently by English Premiership side Aston Villa. Gers were visitors to the Klosterpfote under Walter Smith in 2009 and they’ll play local side FC Gutersloh on Wednesday night. Ally McCoist’s men will then leave for Holland next weekend, where they’ll play second-tier side Emmen before flying home to Scotland. A veteran of 30 years in the senior game, Durrant has sampled a variety of facilities throughout his career during warm-up tours. And he’s adamant the place Rangers will continue their preparations for 2013/14 at is a cut above the rest. Durrant said: “We’ve struck up a good relationship with the owner, Reinholt, and every year he sends us a text to say when it’s free. “During the World Cup when it was on in Germany a few years ago, it was voted as the best training ground due to the hotel and the surfaces there. The pitches are second to none. “We’ve arranged the first game nearby so there’s not a lot of travelling involved which is good for us in terms of recovery time afterwards. “It’s a lovely place to be and everything we need is there. There’s a gymnasium, plunge pools, treatment rooms and the food is outstanding. “The Klosterpforte is the best away training ground I’ve been to. Il Ciocco in Italy was great when I was a player but there was only one pitch there and you were a bit restricted. “We’ve got a lot more space at our German base and that gives us the option of doing different things with the squad. “It’s a fantastic complex and we were fortunate enough to get in because most of the top German teams base themselves there at some point.” There are now two weeks to go until the first competitive game of the season, the Ramsdens Cup first round tie with Albion Rovers in Livingston on July 28. And there’s a stark contrast in the build-up to that game compared with the disorganised approach Gers had to take this time last year ahead of their opener at Brechin. With more structure at the club now and a clear direction to head in, Durrant is encouraged by the way things are going at present. He added: “Last year we tried to do the best we could but a lack of numbers and having to bring players in at the last minute didn’t help us. “We sat down at the end of the season to discuss this summer and got a programme ready which is making a big difference. “Now we’ve got good games to look forward to in Germany and Holland before we go back to the UK and play Sheffield Wednesday next midweek. “We know that over the next couple of weeks we’re going to have to be at our best to win these games and our fitness levels are rising so we’re hopeful of doing well.”
Posted on: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 12:28:42 +0000
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