A Seville-bound punter has told how a fellow Rangers fan came to his rescue after he was forced to go on a 100-mile taxi journey to catch a plane to Faro after being turned away from his initial flight due to his Covid booster jab being out of date.
Ardent light blue legion Graeme Lee, from Cambuslang near Glasgow, was left gutted when he was refused on board his 4.30am flight from East Midlands to the Algarve as his vaccination was just six days out of the legal requirement for Portugal.
The quick thinking fan booked onto the next flight out of the UK to Faro which was departing from Luton Airport.
However, he had to wait until the Covid test centre opened inside the airport to return a negative PCR test.
He then ordered an Uber to take him to Luton and amazingly the driver turned up… wearing a 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup replica tracksuit top.
Graeme told Record Sport: “It sounds almost too far-fetched but I was in a real pickle after being refused entry only my flight.
“Your QR code expires after 270 days and I was six days out so I had to get a negative PCR test.
“But the test centre at East Midlands airport didn’t open until 7am so I had to wait for that and then get a taxi.
“I ordered an Uber and driver who turned up, Mohammad Mezanur, lived in Perth 20 years ago and adopted Rangers as his team.
“Amazingly, that morning he put on a retro Rangers tracksuit top so it was quite an incredible coincidence.
“We spoke about the game and what I had to go through. I’d left Glasgow at midnight and drove to East Midlands airport.
“As I’m flying back there from Faro, I didn’t want to take my car to Luton so I ordered the taxi and it set me back £180.
“I then had to pay the excess for my alternative flight but this is the biggest game in my lifetime and I have a ticket so I was determined to get there and the adrenaline was running.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
