My Road to Seville

 

150 magnificent years our institution has stood tall.  From the 4 young lads who dared to dream back then to the hundreds of thousands of us who have dared to dream this week in Seville.

 

With every great battle, there can only be one victory.  Frankfurt, whilst not the powerhouse they once were in the 1960s were still a colossal name. They had a magnificent tournament. Not one defeat as well as dumping Barcelona and West Ham seen them as worthy winners. 1 penalty all that separated us should tell you all you need to know about the character and resolve of our club. We will never get closer to winning.

 

I was fortunate to witness the match in Seville. How do we get there? As the song says? For me you have to go back to 2009, the year we had last won the Scottish Cup. Let me tell you how it all came full circle.

 

2009 was the year everything changed for me.  In May I became a Father for the 1^st time. Living in shawlands, newly married. It should have been the start of the great adventure. It was the beginning but not as I envisaged.  My only Son was born asleep in May 2009.

 

As a Father I found life rough. I had to live up to stereotype and be string when truthfully I was broken.  It was 3 days later that my boyhood heroes would show me some hope. In the pouring Rain, Steven Davis scored a winner that would seal our 1^st title in 4 years. I cried, I smiled. I had an outlet.

 

The following years I found heart and salvation with Rangers.  My sons namesake came to life every May and fired us to 2 more titles. It was a coincidence alright but one that gave me hope when I needed anything. Kyle Lafferty was My hero back then.

 

 Despite the horrors of 2012, I had found a renewed connection with the club I’d loved since a small child. My heart was healing again.  2013 then delivered another devastating blow as my wife had to battle cancer at 26. Again it was a case of batten down and fight. Fight with everything. And fight she did. Recovering from life threatening illness.

 

My Daughter was now getting older and the time came for that moment every parent dreams of if you are a Rangers fan. Her first game at our sacred home. Queen of the South, May 2015 in a playoff. Not the glamour and glitz I was brought up on in the 9iar era. But an important part of our history regardless as we sought redemption.  A forgettable game for most. Unforgettable for me taking my child to her 1^st match. 5 years old and she had caught the bug.

 

2016 we got our 1^st season books together. A dream come true. A 3^rd was added so she could take a friend. The club kindly put in my sons name so I could say both my children had  a seat together at Ibrox. It was a moment of kindness that stayed with me and would play a part in events to come.  2016 would also see my daughter lead out the Famous Glasgow Rangers on remembrance weekend. Being an Ex Raf Serviceman, it was spine tingling seeing her take the minute silence on the field.

That same month I began volunteering for a Child Loss Charity and on a training weekend met a gentleman called Robert. He had lost his daughter Sofia recently and we instantly connected. Discovering a shared love of Rangers, a bond would be on the making like no other.

 

Over the next couple of years, Robert would go on to have a Son, Angelo. Some may know him as the viral sensation celebrating Ryan Jack’s goal in the 1 nil win over Celtic. It came to be for Angelo’s 1^st game at Ibrox and I felt no other gesture than to give our season books so the family could have a special day. It’s just what we do.

That season I struggled to make some games, I gave away my books at no cost. After the previous hardship cards life had dealt us, now was a different place. I felt it was right to offer a little love and kindness back to a club who had saved my life.

 

2018 was also a huge year as I had decided to fight the Scottish Government to abolish child funeral fees in line with England and Wales. Initially the health minister wrote to Me and my msp rejecting my plea.  So I petitioned Parliament and with the assistance of my MSP, they did a 360 degree turn. It was the first time I’d felt change could be achieved.

 

In 2019, Kyle’s 10^th birthday, we decided to donate all 3 season books to the Rangers Charity foundation. To allow others to enjoy the love of our great club without any financial worry. It was the right thing to do.

 

That year I co-founded my own Charity Anam Cara Fasgadh SC049149. I said after losing Kyle I’d one day achieve 2 goals. Nobody ever pays a funeral and families would have somewhere to stay. The second part was now where our dream Began. Like the 4 lads, we were penniless. £1.76 our 1^st funds May 2019 as my daughter did a collection at school to get us started.

 

That month I was invited to the Louden Tavern as a Guest of Heart and Hand podcast for the 3^rd time. They generously had a raffle and raised 100 pounds that David Edgar matched personally. I was now able to pay for a just giving account. Small steps.

 

As the weeks rolled on, they shared our story on the podcast and a listener got in touch. Someone wanted to assist and they could. They started to make donations that were simply life changing.

 

The pandemic arrived sadly and also with it the end of my time as a season ticket holder. Shielding for my wife in an uncertain world meant I had to give up what I loved. I couldn’t guarantee time and others deserved them more. So we agreed to transfer over to a family who could enjoy our club.

It made me ponder how I could still do more. And so it came to be that after speaking to a wonderful person from twitter, I had asked if they would allow me to buy their Son his 1^st season book. A gift from my family to another. We cannot take our own Son so we wanted to make someone else could. A little lad who adored Ghostbusters and Turtles like I once had. It was a sign.

 

As the pandemic came to a halt, life began to ease, 2022 seen me return to Ibrox. I was fortunate to be given a spare seat for the Red Star game and the thrill and exhilaration was another level. For the first time in almost 3 years I was at home amongst my own. I savoured every second. Sitting outside and watching the crowds.

 

By the time Leipzig came along, I knew we were Destined to win. I was there as my Sons birthday fell just 2 hours after the game. I tied my lucky scarf to the gates With the Jimmy Bell tributes and I felt calmness. The next 90 minutes were the greatest of my life following Rangers. It all felt it was coming together.

 

The next day, I booked Seville. Life had denied me opportunity to travel before now. Between my life in the armed forces to my family life being in absolute turmoil. I simply hadn’t had the chance. I say this as I seen the criticism aimed at those like me for not attending previous. I assure you I would have done if humanly possible. I simply wasn’t able to for a variety of circumstances. It didn’t mean I loved the club any less. I simply had devoted my life to the Raf then my family. And I have no regrets at putting them first.

I’ve cheered my team on from the Ice cold Falkland islands in the South Atlantic to the Desert heat of Jordan. I’ve never lost my love for the team no matter how far I’ve been away.

 

On Kyle’s birthday another milestone arrived. After 3 years, 50k raised. 2 of those years a pandemic. Our caravan dream became a reality. Our 1^st trial family had stayed. It was the most emotional 24 hours in years.

 

I booked Seville on the Friday with a dear friend. Our dream just to be there. Sadly circumstances meant he couldn’t go. Impulsive I decided I was going alone if need be. I then advertised the flight on twitter and the share of a room. To my shock, someone took me up and I now had a travel partner. The adventure was beginning.

 

It involved 4 flights. 22 hours of bus journeys from Alicante to Seville and it was worth every second.  A friend I’d helped in the past with my tickets gave me the Info for the bus journey. Info I then assisted others with. Luck.

 

I had been given 2 tickets to Cartuja by another friend, Stevie of 4 Lads had a Dream blog, meaning I had somewhere to go.  What happened next will live with me forever.

 

My friend Robert had tickets via Uefa. Not Rangers before we go any further. I don’t agree with the system either and stand by that assertion.   When circumstances meant he could not attend, on match day I was given the ticket of a lifetime. My friend wanted me to represent our kids that night if he couldn’t. And he turned down staggering sums of money to gift me it for free. That says everything about the measure of the man. Cards on table. Was I deserving of these tickets when others missed out? No. I never took one from My Gers. It was the same system that saw Seville fans in the ground.  I’ve seen a lot of judgement of those of us who gained tickets that I felt wasn’t fair.

 

In return I gave away my cartuja ticket and I also bought another to ensure a fellow supporter on my bus had somewhere to go.

 

For the second time in almost 13 years I felt my luck was well and truly in.

I met supporters from all over the world. I shook hands with Frankfurt fans and we took photos together. I met numerous  we friends for life. I hadn’t anticipated any of this. My plan was only to be in Seville.

 And to round it off, I met the incredible parent of the little boy who we got a season book for. We watched our team together,  side by side in a European final. For 12 minutes we cried tears of joy as we simply dared to dream. We hugged tears of sorrow at the end. I couldn’t have asked for a better human to stand by my side to watch our team.

 

My journey to Seville was a long one. I missed Manchester and swore I’d never let it happen again. In-between some testing times I always had one philosophy. Kindness is everything. Karma has a way of finding you. And believe me when I say that I think it has done just that. From my charity caravan donors to the trip of a lifetime. It felt that the universe was looking out for me. I just believe that hope and Kindness can be the most powerful thing anyone can give. You can make e a difference.

 

Sadly it wasn’t to be for us. The stadium is for another day. For one day, I was able to live the dream. I’m still numb from how close our players came to immortality. I hope they can show me it will be Done again.

 

Today they won the Scottish Cup for 1^st time since May 2009. The very year my journey began.

 

I hope we dare to dream again soon.

 

One club. One love. Forever Blue.

For Kyle. Sofia. Henry. Charlotte. Lucas. Lewis. All our little bears.