English League Two outfit Swindon Town have paid special respects to former Rangers captain Fernando Ricksen by wearing a special top raising awareness of Motor Neurone Disease.
The Ibrox legend passed away this week after a very long, very public six-year battle with the debilitating muscular condition.
The English side’s changed purple kit is sponsored by the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation and is in support of former player Stephen Darby, who was forced to retire after being diagnosed with the condition last year.
It’s a unique, tribute to Ricksen and serves to raise awareness of this painful, incurable condition.
Ricksen himself would be proud. The spirited campaigner spent much of his final years raising funds for research into curing and treating the condition.
Ricksen’s charity, the Fernando Ricksen Foundation, has raised over £1m for research into the condition, which is also known as ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
Swindon Town – who have no direct relationship with Ricksen – deserve credit for their special shirt and for donning it at the weekend.
The strip may well have acted as a lucky charm too. Swindon maintained their unbeaten away record in League Two with a 1-0 win away to Cambridge United.
Ricksen passed away on Wednesday 18th September after a long fight with the tragic muscular condition.
Tributes have poured in from across football, not least from Rangers fans, their Celtic rivals and even Dutch side Feyenoord, who were poignantly the opposition for Rangers at a Ricksen inspired orange Ibrox in midweek.
The Ibrox club pulled off a 1-0 win in a spirited display the Dutchman himself would’ve been proud of.