Hello, I am Tom, a passionate football fan from Stoke-on-Trent who supports Stoke and has a deep affinity for Glasgow Rangers.
Coming from Stoke, you may think, why write for Read Rangers and what connection does he have with our club?
Let me explain. Stoke City and Glasgow Rangers have a storied history that has directly affected my family and me.
The Loving Cup
All the way back in 1937, the story of the Loving Cup began.
A cup commissioned by then Stoke City president, Sir Francis Joseph, to commemorate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on May 12 of that year.
Two months later, Stoke and the area of Newcastle-under-Lyme, the place my family is from, were met with deep sorrow.
On July 2, 1937, a disaster at Holditch Colliery, Chesterton, the place where my family lived at the time, claimed the lives of 30 miners.
A disaster relief fund was quickly established to support the families without sons, husbands, and fathers.
Rangers helped the people of my area after agreeing to play in a charity match against Stoke to raise funds.
Despite the club’s busy schedule, Rangers manager Bill Struth accepted the invitation with no hesitation.
He declined to claim any expenses for the trip. Doing it the Rangers way.
More than £2000 was raised when they visited the Victoria Ground, as the lure of Rangers attracted 30,000 people to support. The game ended goalless.
Sir Francis Joseph distributed 24 Loving Cups to various teams, but the last and most important was given to Rangers, in recognition of the club’s help to our community in its time of need.
To this day, Rangers still hold a celebration at the first home game of every year to celebrate the monarch.
A rollercoaster of a journey
Following Stoke City and Rangers has been a journey full of ups and downs.
As a Stoke fan, I have seen us play some incredible football in the Premier League and battle at the bottom of the Championship.
As for Rangers, I have followed the club from the dark days of Scotland’s lower leagues to winning title 55 under Steven Gerrard.
While Stoke battle to reach the Championship playoffs, Rangers have so many positives for the rest of the season.
Gunning for titles
The club seems to have transformed under Danny Rohl after a hectic start to the season under Russell Martin.
The team is more structured and carries an identity that is symbolic of the football club.
Despite a disappointing result at the weekend against Celtic, the Scottish Premiership is still in the grasp of Rohl’s men as we enter the business end of the season.
The Bears are six points off Hearts at the top of the table.
They face favourable games against St Mirren, Aberdeen, Dundee United, and Falkirk to close the league campaign.
It seems a tough ask to overcome the deficit with so few games remaining.
However, this weekend will be the best chance to win silverware.
Rangers face Celtic in the quarterfinals of the Scottish Cup this weekend.
The winner likely to have one hand on the trophy if they are victorious.
What do you see happening? Can Rangers defy all odds and win a league and cup double?
