Rangers legend Andy Goram’s ashes were buried under the Ibrox pitch in an emotional ceremony held by his loved ones.
His remains were placed inches behind the centre of the goal line at the stadium’s Copland Road stand in a private service. It comes five weeks after Goram – nicknamed The Goalie – lost his battle with cancer, aged 58.
The ceremony took place hours before the Light Blues played their first home league match of the season against Kilmarnock last Saturday. The club gave Goram’s son Danny permission to pour the ashes into a specially prepared urn under the turf which was then marked in his memory.
Gers goalkeeper Allan McGregor was at the low-key ceremony which was led by Rangers’ chaplain Rev Stuart McQuarrie. Goram’s former team-mate Gordon Durie and ex-Ibrox defender Marvin Andrews also attended with the ex-goalkeeper’s best pals Stan Gordon, Barry Gilmour, Archie Gordon and other family members.
Publican Stan said it was the Rangers legend’s wishes to be placed at the Copland Road end of Ibrox.
He added: “We can’t thank Rangers enough for allowing this to happen. The support the club has given over the last couple of months has been terrific. Rangers are a family club and what they have done for Andy proves that.
“The Goalie is now in the centre of the Rangers goal line at his favourite end of the stadium. His ashes being placed there was a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. It was a real mixture of sadness and pride.
“His passing has been heartbreaking, but we’re so proud that Andy will now be at every home game with us and the rest of the Rangers support.”
Goram – voted by Gers fans as the club’s greatest-ever goalkeeper – revealed in the Daily Record that he had been diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer.
In May, he told how he thought he was suffering from indigestion only for doctors to tell him he had just six months to live. However his condition rapidly worsened and he died on July 2 at St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie.
His funeral took place at the Wellington Church in Glasgow ’s west end last month. A reception took place at Davie Cooper suite at Ibrox after the service.
Goram won five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups in a glittering seven-year spell at Rangers after signing from Hibs for £1million in 1991. He was also capped 43 times for Scotland. An Ibrox source said: “It was something the club were more than happy to arrange.” Rangers declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Rangers supporters in Belfast are to unveil a bench created in memory of Goram, who had a strong bond with fans in Northern Ireland. It will be placed in memorial gardens in Shankill Road on Friday before the Shankill Rangers Supporters Club will hold a fundraising night for the hospice that cared for Goram in his final days.
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