Andy Goram: Rangers legends and hundreds of pay their respects to club legend at his funeral

Ally McCoist lead a host of Rangers icons to pay their final respects to the club’s legendary goalkeeper Andy Goram at a funeral service in Glasgow.

The former Ibrox and Scotland player, known simply to many as ‘The Goalie’, died after a short battle with oesophageal cancer earlier this month.

Hundreds of fans filled the streets in and around Ibrox to say their final farewells, before he was laid to rest. 

The funeral procession made its way through the city before arriving at a service at Wellington Church in Glasgow on Monday afternoon.

Wreaths were laid at Rangers’ stadium, where Goram was part of the squad that won nine Scottish championship titles in a row.

Born in Bury, Goram began his career at Oldham Athletic before moving north to play for Edinburgh side Hibernian, then signing for Rangers.

Hundreds of Rangers fans lined the streets around Ibrox to pay their respects to Andy Goram

Rangers icons Ally McCoist (left) and John Brown (right) watch the casket arrive ahead of the funeral service of Goram at the Wellington Church

Goram, 58, died earlier this month after a short battle with oesophageal cancer

Floral tributes were laid outside Ibrox as fans paid their respects to ‘The Goalie’

After his time at Ibrox he played for a number of teams in both Scotland and England, including Notts County, Sheffield United and Motherwell for three seasons, as well as spells at Manchester United, Coventry, Queen of the South and then lastly Elgin City.

As well as representing Scotland at football, he also played for the country as a cricketer – and is the only person to have played a first-class international match at cricket as well as a major international football match for Scotland.

After his death, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed Goram as ‘one of Scotland’s all-time football greats’.

The funeral procession made its way through the city before arriving at a service at Wellington Church

Rangers players Scott Arfield (left) and John Lundstram (right) ahead of the funeral service

In May, Rangers revealed that Goram was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer and was given just six months to live.

Goram initially mistook his illness for bad indigestion, but after a scan at Monklands Hospital he was told he had level four oesophageal cancer.

The 58-year-old reportedly turned down chemotherapy after being told it would only give him another 12 weeks, and said he would ‘fight like I’ve never fought before’.

Speaking to the Daily Record in May, Goram said: ‘Take chemotherapy and be in agony for the sake of an extra three months and zero quality of life? No thanks. Chemotherapy is off the menu.

An order of service for the funeral of Goram is held up outside Welllington Church

‘I’ve been given other drugs I’m not attempting to pronounce. Getting all these pills hit home just how serious this situation is. I need to take my medication religiously or I’m in big trouble.’

‘My pain is manageable. I can still go see friends and supporters’ clubs and still be myself.

‘I’ll be here as long as I possibly can. I’ll fight like I’ve never fought before. The only difference is the timebomb ticking away.’  

Goram was beloved by Rangers fans and is synonymous with some of the most glorious times in the club’s history. In a supporters’ poll in 1999 Goram was voted the greatest Rangers goalkeeper of all time.

In May Goram revealed he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six months to live

Goram made 43 appearances for Scotland and was No 1 at both Euros in 1992 and 1996

He began his professional career at Oldham after coming through the ranks at West Brom before he was released as a teenager.

He made almost 200 league appearance for the Latics after joining the club in 1981, earning himself a £325,000 move to Scottish side Hibernian six years later.

After impressing during four seasons with Hibs, Rangers paid £1million to sign Goram in 1991 and he went on to become their No 1.

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