Andy Goram told loved ones he wanted his funeral service to be a full house. The Rangers legend said his final farewell should be packed with family, friends and fans.
He picked Wellington Church in Glasgow’s west end because it can hold 900 people. The 58-year-old asked ex team-mates Ally McCoist, John Brown and former club chairman Donald Findlay QC to give a eulogy.
Goram, considered by fans to be Rangers’ greatest-ever keeper, lost his battle with oesophageal cancer on July 2. His death came just 10 weeks after he was told he was terminally ill.
Ex-wife Miriam Wylie and close pal Stan Gordon met with Rangers officials last week to finalise details of Goram’s final journey. Goram’s funeral cortege is expected to pass Ibrox stadium where there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at 1pm on Monday, July 18.
Hundreds of fans are expected to line the streets around the ground to say goodbye to the ex-Scotland star. Goram’s funeral service will take place at 2pm before he is laid to rest at a private ceremony.
Miriam said: “Andy said anyone who wanted to go to his funeral should get the chance. He picked the Wellington because it has a larger capacity than most. But the church can’t have speakers relaying the service to people standing outside for safety reasons.
“Fans can get the opportunity to say goodbye to him outside Ibrox or at the service.” Miriam was at Goram’s side when he passed away at St Andrew’s Hospice in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
McCoist and Brown were also there in his final moments. The trio had kept a constant vigil with Goram’s son Danny.
An envelope for mourners to make a donation to the hospice will be provided at the church. An online link will also be available.
Miriam added: “It’s what Andy wanted. The staff there were magnificent. We could never thank them enough for the care they gave.”
Goram, nicknamed The Goalie, signed for Rangers in 1991 from Hibs for £1million. He went on to have seven years as the club’s No1 and won five league titles, three Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
The first team held a minute’s silence in tribute to Goram before their pre-season friendly against Sunderland in Portugal at the weekend. Rangers play West Ham United at Ibrox on Tuesday, July 19, a day after the funeral.
The club will lay a wreath prior to the friendly. Rangers said in a statement last week that they had “further tributes planned for that evening to allow supporters to pay their final respects to The Goalie”.
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