Heartbreaking scenes at Ibrox

10
Heartbreaking scenes at Ibrox


Rangers lost a match of football today. But quite honestly this seems an incredibly trivial event compared to the bravery of One of Our Own Fernando Ricksen who was paraded with dignity, pride and class pre-match, fighting as he is a terminal form of Motor Neurone Disease called ALS.

Fernando was expected to lose this fight a long time ago, and while he has resigned himself to the inevitable fate, the fact the man has beaten the affliction until now gives some context to eleven men losing a wee match of football.

Of course, we would have loved to have won it on the pitch for him, he deserved that, but it was not to be, and in the grand scheme of things, his fight with such a dreadful disease puts into some perspective our inability to beat Martin Canning’s side.

It is only a game. Yours truly has not felt his best either in recent times, but the sight of Fernando consigned to a wheelchair unable to walk certainly gives me perspective, and I hope it gives us all some while we argue trivial matters.

Ricksen is a hero – whatever colourful acts he did in the past, he has taken to his ALS battle with grace and fought it like a tiger.

He will lose the battle, but like a True Ranger there was No Surrender.

And we remain proud of him. No Surrender Fernando.

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10 COMMENTS

  1. I have often been a critic of your posts but not this one. Spot on. 20 years ago my wife was diagnosed with a disease that was considered to be fatal. Her fight has been phenomenal. There are people alive today because of the sacrifices she has made to help doctors and patients alike. On Wednesday we travelled to Cape Town to see my best friend and his wife. His wife has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It’s just a game even though we always want to win.

  2. Very appropriate article. Grown men around me at the ground were close to tears when Fernando came on. Wish we had just a couple like him around the place just now. Wish him all the best.

  3. 1000% agree. So sad but also great to see him. We should always remember what's important in life as it is far too short. I'd like to see Old Firm do more to support likes of Ricksen and Petrov (and now Liam Miller) to raise funds and bring down some of the hate. It is only a game after all.

  4. We are going to remember Fernando with Pride, Dignity,Respect but more than anything, a very heavy heart.
    In the year we lost Sandy Jardine, a guy whose career epitomizes Glasgow Rangers Men, we had also to witness this Dutch Giant of a man fall, and rise attempting to kick off his own testimonial game.

    He mustered every ounce of Dutch Blue Blood to make you and i smile, make us smile. Because he loved to be popular in both Holland and Scotland We all love him
    He loves us all.
    We mourned Sandy with pride in our hearts. Fernando WILL hear the Drums. I personally cannot for health reasons walk up the famous stairs or attend Ibrox but losing The two Bears woyld break anyone's heart

  5. An Absolute Shame. Nothing We Can Do For Him But To Pray That His End Will B Painless. The End of life Is Absolutely The Worst Thing Anyone Can Go Through. Keep Their Memory Alive Forever it's All We Can Do. At The End Of The Day Does It Really Matter Who Anyone Played For . I Think Not . Farewell Our Friend.

  6. Fernando wound up all us bhoys big-time,he was all heart with a genuine NO Surrender attitude and myself and many of my fellow Tims would like to would like let you all know that our heartfelt thoughts are with him…a true brave fighter…we wish him in his biggest battle of all…

  7. Hey Celtic fan here, before you snipe at me for being on a bear’s site I just want to offer my heartfelt condolences to Fernando – our Jimmy went through similar and no human being deserves to go through this regardless…

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