A NATIONWIDE football club set up in memory of Lee Rigby will play its first official charity match in Glasgow later this month.
Dan Ferguson, who grew up in Barlanark, founded Lee Rigby Football Club last year after he was asked to set up a charity club by Lee’s mum Lyn Rigby.
Club secretary Dan first got involved with charity football matches after he successfully set up an event for a couple of friends who were ex-professional players.
He said: "I’ve been doing charity football matches for a few years, including helping raise money for the Lee Rigby Foundation for Lee’s mum Lyn, and I was just about to give it all up last year, concentrate on other things in life, and Lyn asked me would I be able to start the Lee Rigby Football Club.
"She said it anyone could do it, I could."
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Fusilier Lee Rigby was a serving soldier who was attacked and killed on a busy street outside Woolwich barracks in London on May 22, 2013.
Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were later found guilty of the murder which was fuelled by extremist beliefs.
Dan says the response since setting up the club has been "absolutely crazy".
The 54-year-old said: "We’ve had hundreds upon hundreds of players wanting to join and then we’ve got over 300 clubs wanting to play us.
"There’s a lot of charity football teams around Britain and they’ve all been in touch to play us because we’ve become the best one in Britain I think in six months, it’s gone sky high as one of the ones everyone wants to play against and play for."
He added: "We’re looking for more Scottish players because we want to have two or three teams, one based in Scotland, one based in England, regional-based teams.
"I think if we can get more Scottish players involved it would be fantastic."
The 30-strong squad is made up of both serving military personnel and veterans from across Britain and their manager is ex-Manchester City and Brentford striker Rob Taylor.
The team’s kit has been designed in the style of Lee Rigby’s uniform and people from all over the world have been getting in touch to purchase them.
Dan believes they will be able to sell "thousands upon thousands" of them.
All the money raised from the matches and selling kits will go towards buying caravans at sites across Britain which will be there for military personnel and veterans to go to for free if they want a holiday.
Dan said: "I think it’s a great cause to do it for but also it was Lyn that asked me, and her biggest wish is Lee’s name will never be forgotten.
"Each caravan will have a sign on it saying Lee Rigby Retreat so Lee’s name lives on forever helping other soldiers."
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Lee Rigby Football Club will play their first official charity match against Bars for Bears Legends at the Toryglen Indoor Football Centre on Saturday, February 19 at 12pm, with the Rigby family in attendance.
Tickets for the match cost £6 for adults and £3 for children and prior to the game, the team have been invited by Rangers to a tour of Ibrox.
They currently have a further eight matches booked for this year, with their last match taking place in south Wales in November.
To find out more about the club or to book tickets for this month’s match in Toryglen, visit the Lee Rigby Football Club Facebook page.
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