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Great Gesture By Rangers FC
D_F_T
Posts: 1,154
PRESS INFORMATION
on behalf of
RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB
RANGERS SUPPORT TROOPS WITH TICKET GIVEAWAY
In a UK first, Rangers Football Club has donated over 1,200 tickets to members of the Armed Forces for the Club’s Champions League tie against Unirea Urziceni at Ibrox Stadium next Tuesday. (20 October, 2009)
Having received confirmation from the Romanian side that they would not be taking up their allocation in the traditional away section, the Club has taken the unprecedented decision to offer this area of the ground to soldiers from The Army in Scotland in honour of their service to their country.
Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain joined Manager Walter Smith, Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander 51 (Scottish) Brigade and soldiers from 51 (Scottish) Brigade, at Ibrox today (Thursday, 15 October 2009) to hand over the Champions League tickets worth almost £50,000.
The initiative is believed to be the first time a UK football club has donated an entire section of its ground to serving members of the Armed Forces and it follows a number of previous visits to Ibrox and Murray Park by members of the Army and Royal Marines.
Martin Bain commented: “This football club is totally committed to supporting and recognising these brave individuals. Once we learned Unirea would not be taking up their allocation in the away section at Ibrox we immediately thought of donating the tickets to The Army in Scotland. We all owe the members of the Armed Forces a huge debt of gratitude and our fans will give them a wonderful and deserved reception when they attend our European tie next Tuesday."
Walter Smith commented: “Footballers are often regarded as heroes but the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces are the true heroes in life and it will be our pleasure to welcome them to Ibrox."
Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander 51 (Scottish) Brigade, commented: “Wow! This is an extraordinary gesture by any standards! Football is a major passion across the Army and Scottish soldiers all have strong allegiances. Even Celtic fans across the Brigade have been taken aback by Rangers generosity!
“An evening at Ibrox is a wonderful opportunity for Rangers fans in the Army – along with many others who just enjoy the game or perhaps those who have never seen a game at this level before – to watch two of the best teams in Europe in an iconic stadium. We are all hugely appreciative of Rangers generosity and wish them well representing Scotland in the Champions League."
Andy Kerr, President of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, commented: “I am delighted that the Club has made this generous gesture to our Armed Forces personnel. The soldiers that attend the match will receive a fantastic welcome from the Rangers fans."
In recent months, the Rangers Charity Foundation has worked closely with veterans’ charities Poppyscotland and Erskine while the Club invited members of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Marines from 45 Commando – who had just returned from front line duty in Afghanistan - to SPL matches at Ibrox.
In addition, Scottish soldiers based in Germany have been invited to Rangers training sessions both during pre-season tours and before European matches in the last couple of years.
on behalf of
RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB
RANGERS SUPPORT TROOPS WITH TICKET GIVEAWAY
In a UK first, Rangers Football Club has donated over 1,200 tickets to members of the Armed Forces for the Club’s Champions League tie against Unirea Urziceni at Ibrox Stadium next Tuesday. (20 October, 2009)
Having received confirmation from the Romanian side that they would not be taking up their allocation in the traditional away section, the Club has taken the unprecedented decision to offer this area of the ground to soldiers from The Army in Scotland in honour of their service to their country.
Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain joined Manager Walter Smith, Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander 51 (Scottish) Brigade and soldiers from 51 (Scottish) Brigade, at Ibrox today (Thursday, 15 October 2009) to hand over the Champions League tickets worth almost £50,000.
The initiative is believed to be the first time a UK football club has donated an entire section of its ground to serving members of the Armed Forces and it follows a number of previous visits to Ibrox and Murray Park by members of the Army and Royal Marines.
Martin Bain commented: “This football club is totally committed to supporting and recognising these brave individuals. Once we learned Unirea would not be taking up their allocation in the away section at Ibrox we immediately thought of donating the tickets to The Army in Scotland. We all owe the members of the Armed Forces a huge debt of gratitude and our fans will give them a wonderful and deserved reception when they attend our European tie next Tuesday."
Walter Smith commented: “Footballers are often regarded as heroes but the men and women who serve in the Armed Forces are the true heroes in life and it will be our pleasure to welcome them to Ibrox."
Brigadier David Allfrey, Commander 51 (Scottish) Brigade, commented: “Wow! This is an extraordinary gesture by any standards! Football is a major passion across the Army and Scottish soldiers all have strong allegiances. Even Celtic fans across the Brigade have been taken aback by Rangers generosity!
“An evening at Ibrox is a wonderful opportunity for Rangers fans in the Army – along with many others who just enjoy the game or perhaps those who have never seen a game at this level before – to watch two of the best teams in Europe in an iconic stadium. We are all hugely appreciative of Rangers generosity and wish them well representing Scotland in the Champions League."
Andy Kerr, President of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, commented: “I am delighted that the Club has made this generous gesture to our Armed Forces personnel. The soldiers that attend the match will receive a fantastic welcome from the Rangers fans."
In recent months, the Rangers Charity Foundation has worked closely with veterans’ charities Poppyscotland and Erskine while the Club invited members of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Royal Marines from 45 Commando – who had just returned from front line duty in Afghanistan - to SPL matches at Ibrox.
In addition, Scottish soldiers based in Germany have been invited to Rangers training sessions both during pre-season tours and before European matches in the last couple of years.
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Comments
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Zzzzz......0
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They will probably stick them all right next to the away supporters in full combats. The Romanian fans wll s**t themselves and Rangers will save money on policing costs!0
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Sorry if I woke you BlackForestReds!0
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I'd like to think we'd do something like this if we got good again
No reason we can't do it now tbh - back of the Jimmy Seed stand and a standing ovation for each and every one of them0 -
Well done to Rangers I say.0
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Excellent stuff. Good to also see so many soliders at the England game yesterday0
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A number of clubs have been doing similar initiatives. I know Fulham had an armed forces day recently.0
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I would love to see Charlton do something especially being so near to Woolwich, are there any military left in Woolwich?0
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Agree[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]Well done to Rangers I say.0 -
[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]A number of clubs have been doing similar initiatives. I know Fulham had an armed forces day recently.
Unlike Millwalls' forced to carry arms days.0 - Sponsored links:
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Great work,nice to see clubs giving something to our troops..........BFR maybe you should dod a tour of duty out there.........you may have a different outlook to it.......the statement you have just made is a disgrace0
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A truely great gesture0
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Celtic did this a few seasons back, good idea. ;-)0
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[quote][cite]Posted By: Medders[/cite]Excellent stuff. Good to also see so many soliders at the England game yesterday[/quote]
Indeed, and they were in the club Wembley tier free of charge.0 -
Fair play to Rangers.
I don't know why other clubs haven't done this. Some have done but charged say a fiver, when in my book it should be for nothing.
I know all the baseball clubs in the States give tickets away.
Wish Charlton would do this, although I remember a mob of army lads from Woolwich Barracks turned up to a Friday night game in the mid eighties and were a handful in the Jimmy Seed stand!0 -
I had a bit of luck, so i sent a few quid to this appeal............
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Appeal_to_bring_troops_beer_cheer&in_article_id=731250&in_page_id=340 -
what does blackforest mean with zzzzz... these people put there lives on the line for us. show them some respect0
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[quote][cite]Posted By: JT[/cite]Celtic did this a few seasons back, good idea. ;-)[/quote]
No they didn't, after Rangers had some Soldiers on the pitch during a game last season Celtic felt obliged to do the same but they said the soldiers must not wear their uniforms in case it upset the crowd!0 -
I'm sure some of the soldiers will be Celtic fans anyway. Doesnt matter though does it.0
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Celtic can't even do the minutes silence for Remembrance Day, they have asked the SFA and SPL if they can have an applause instead and they are playing away at Falkirk. How can you have an applause for that?
Yes, it does matter WSS0 - Sponsored links:
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It matters if some are the soldiers are Celtic fans?
Don't be ridiculous.0 -
I agree that some of the soldiers who died in all the wars would have been Celtic fans, even more ironic that their support cannot show respect to the fallen. That IS ridiculous!0
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Well done to Rangers. Why can't it just be left at that without having to compare it to what Celtic do ?0
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[cite]Posted By: se9addick[/cite]Well done to Rangers. Why can't it just be left at that without having to compare it to what Celtic do ?
Exactly but that was never likely unfortunately.0 -
[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite][cite]Posted By: se9addick[/cite]Well done to Rangers. Why can't it just be left at that without having to compare it to what Celtic do ?
Exactly but that was never likely unfortunately.
definitely. it didn't need mystic meg to see where this was heading.0 -
[quote][cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite][quote][cite]Posted By: se9addick[/cite]Well done to Rangers. Why can't it just be left at that without having to compare it to what Celtic do ?[/quote]
Exactly but that was never likely unfortunately.[/quote]
Indeed, shame JT had to try and get a reaction with a lie.0 -
Do they play football in Scotland?0
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You might want to find the edit button BFR - that is a ridiculous response.0
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[quote][cite]Posted By: se9addick[/cite]Well done to Rangers. Why can't it just be left at that without having to compare it to what Celtic do ?[/quote]
I never brought them into it, somebody mistakenly said they did it some years ago, I just put them right. As it says in the Rangers press release, it is a UK first....FIRST!0 -
Well then lets hope it's the first of many.0
