The strong relationship that exists between IRN-BRU SFL Third Division Champions Rangers and English Premiership side Stoke City that began over 75 years ago was in evidence again this week and will be on display at Ibrox on Saturday ahead of the game with Berwick Rangers.
The bond, which started when the clubs met in 1937 when the Loving Cup, which is still used at Ibrox at every New Years Day game to toast the Queen, was gifted to the club by Stoke. The relationship will now see a fan of each club cycle the 300-mile route from the Britannia Stadium to Ibrox completed this weekend.
Citreon Stoke work colleagues Rangers fan James Bertram and Gordon Walker a Potters supporter are the duo completing the three day hike along with several other cyclists including Stoke’s Head of Community Adrian Hurst, to raise money for the Rangers Charity Foundation and the Stoke City Community Trust.
They left on Wednesday May 1 and plan to arrive in Glasgow tomorrow, ahead of Rangers’ final home match of the season which will have a party atmosphere associated to it as the Ibrox side will be presented with the Third Division trophy.
The cyclists will be able to sample the party atmosphere as they will do a lap of honour before Ally McCoist’s side kick off against Ian Little’s side.
Rangers supporter Bertram said: “Gordon and I came up with the idea of doing the cycle ride while on a trip to India last year. There is a long association between the two clubs which goes back to the time when the Loving Cup was presented to Rangers by the Stoke President all those years ago.”
“We thought that raising money for the respective community schemes would be a great way for the two clubs to link up again and we hope to establish this as an annual event.”
Bertram has been delighted by the support he received after outlining the plans to embark upon the ride and he said: “The level of backing has been incredible from a whole host organisations and individuals, so much so that we have already raised our level of expectations. At the outset, we were hoping to raise £5,000 for each charity, but now we are aiming higher than that due to the support we have seen.”
After their Glasgow adventure the riders will ride into Stoke’s final home game of the season against Tottenham Hotspur eight days later which is the Club’s 150th anniversary celebration match.
“It seems quite appropriate that we should be launching this fund-raising event in our 150th anniversary year because there is great emphasis on the Club’s link with the community in many of the celebrations which are taking place over the course of the year,” explained Hurst.
“Therefore, we will be returning to the Britannia Stadium for the 150th anniversary match when we play Tottenham Hotspur and we hope that a collection that day will help round off a very successful mission to provide vital funding for many more community-based projects.”
Rangers Manager Ally McCoist commented: "On behalf of everyone at Rangers Football Club, I would like to wish Jim, Gordon and the team all the very best with their cycle.
"The Rangers Charity Foundation is very proud to support The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and UNICEF and I am sure the 300 Mile Cycle Challenge will be a huge success.”
"We look forward to welcoming Jim, Gordon and the rest of the team to Ibrox for our final home game of the season against Berwick Rangers."
Stoke boss Tony Pullis, who took part in a John O’Groats to Land’s End bike ride last year for the Donna Louise Children’s Hospice has urged supporters to give their backing to the cyclists as they endeavour to raise money that will boost community projects within the game.
Pulis said: “It is a fantastic effort, so they deserve all the support and encouragement they can get, throughout the ride itself. I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience, as it was for me last year. What will keep them going at times will be the knowledge they are raising money for a good cause.”
Connal Cochrane, Manager, Rangers Charity Foundation added: "The Rangers Charity Foundation is incredibly grateful to the team for their efforts, from organising the event, training and fundraising to actually cycling the 300 miles from Stoke to Glasgow. All the money donated to the Foundation from the challenge will go to support our work with hundreds of worthwhile charities and community groups, as well as our major partnerships with UNICEF, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice.
"Our project with UNICEF will see the Foundation immunise 1 million of the world's most vulnerable children from preventable diseases, and with The Soldiers' Charity we are working to provide practical support to the brave men and women of our armed forces when they need it most. Our partnership with The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice is raising funds for a fantastic new palliative care facility for the people of Glasgow - in short, three hugely important and inspiring projects."
The Loving Cup mentioned earlier rests in the Trophy Room at Ibrox and represents the willingness of Rangers to come to the aid of a member of the 'football family' before the Second World War.
Only 30 Loving Cups were commissioned by the then Stoke City chairman, Sir Francis Joseph, to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and of those were given to English League clubs that finished the 1936/37 season in Division One, clubs who gained promotion that year as well as to a number of associations including the English FA.
The SFA is thought to have received their Loving Cup from the English FA on the occasion of the Britain v Rest of Europe match at Hampden Park in 1947.
The story of how The Loving Cup came into the possession of Rangers started in July, 1937 when a tragic incident occurred at the Holditch Colliery, near Stoke. 30 miners were killed and 8 were injured due to a fire and subsequent explosions.
To raise funds for the dependants of the victims of the disaster, Stoke City requested to play the champions of Scotland, Rangers and the manager Bill Struth accepted the invitation immediately.
Over 30,000 fans saw the following Rangers side - Dawson, Gray, McDonald, McKillop, Simpson, Main, Venters, Smith, Kinnear, Fiddes, Little – draw 0-0 with their hosts at their old Victoria Park home with more than £2,000 raised.
After the match the Stoke City chairman Sir Francis Joseph gifted Rangers the Loving Cup with the request that it should be used to toast the health of the reigning monarch prior to the clubs first home match of every New Year.
So it is, to this day, in the Blue Room in Ibrox, before the first home game of each New Year, the Toast to the health of the reigning Monarch is celebrated by the Rangers board members & the board members of the visiting team.
It is thought that there are only 6 Loving Cups' left in circulation. Chelsea's cup is in their museum, Stoke City and Grimsby Town, Everton and Rangers still have theirs. Out of the 5 clubs, Rangers, Stoke City, Everton & Grimsby Town still to this day, toast the health of the reigning Monarch before the first home game of the New Year.
The organisations who have already pledged their support for the bike ride are: Evans Halshaw, Citroen UK, The Co-operative Group, Menzies Hotels, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Swinnerton Cycles, PREM Management and the Premier League Support.
To anyone wishing to sponsor the cyclists, you can do so by either clicking https://www.justgiving.com/stoke-City-Community-Trust or you can Text 300 to 70800 (Texts cost £5 plus your standard network charge)
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