Football Aid is a charity set up to give football fans the chance to play at the home of their heroes with their friends and family looking on. Basically you bid on their website for a jersey to play in a match of the home team versus the away team. There’s also an ex player playing and managing each side.
I was fortunate enough to win a game through a radio competition but if I had the cash I’d definitely be bidding for a jersey next year.
The day itself was everything you would dream of. From walking through the main entrance and up the marble staircase, to seeing the Trophy room and the Blue room. Then there’s walking into the dressing room and seeing your strip hanging up with your name on it. (you get to keep the strip).
Then of course there’s the buzz of walking out of the tunnel and onto the hallowed turf, lining up European style and posing for the obligatory team photo.
The game itself was brilliant, if knackering (it’s a bloody big pitch). Thankfully for me the standard was pretty mixed so though I was far from the best, there were a few other haddies out there.
Gordon Smith & Alan McLaren played for the home team, while Robert Prytz & Ally Dawson played in the away side and all 4 were brilliant throughout the day.
And as for the ultimate glory of scoring at Ibrox, my moment was cruelly snatched away when the ball fell to
me 4 yards out (not even I could miss this one) only for my legs to be whipped away by that big b@gger McLaren. Of course by the time I picked myself up the penalty taker had well been claimed.
After the game there was a man of the match ceremony in the members lounge and Rangers presented each player with a club tie and badge.
All in all, just a perfect day and thoroughly recommended.
POWERRANGER