Shattered and suffering from sleep deprivation, big Gordy climbs on his mountain bike for the 14 mile cycle home. It’s at times like this he rues the decision to downgrade to just one family car, but needs must and every penny is a prisoner. The driving rain and head on wind would normally be a curse, but with a body craving sleep, they act as a form of stimulus. It’s the 6th night on the trot of 12 hour shifts for Gordy, and despite the 72 hour week demanding a heavy toll, Gordy welcomes the overtime.

What he does not look forward to however, is telling the kids the PS4 will have to wait, or the wife that the much needed new kitchen will have to be put on hold for the time being. The winter service on the family car Gordy will have to do himself, irrespective weather. Next year’s family holiday will have to wait for the following year. Hopefully.

Ranger’s season tickets and shares are the absolute priority for Gordy. Together, they are beyond the normal parameters of the normal family budget. But these are not normal times and Gordy is doing everything within his power to ensure he answers his club’s calling in its hour of need.

We all probably know someone like Big Gordy, in fact some of us may be him. All of us have probably wrestled with the kind of financial dilemmas Gordy has faced these last few years. Such people are the absolute life blood of our great club. And they deserve better, much, much better.

They deserve administrators at our club who negotiate contracts for the benefit of the club and not the self-serving needs of individuals.

They deserve people employed at our club who draw a wage which is commensurate with the role they undertake and the challenges the club faces.

In short they deserve people at the club who reflect their own willingness to sacrifice for the good of our club.

The gravy train, which so many associated with our club, have ridden these last few years, is not fuelled by some mysterious benefactor – it is fuelled by the blood sweat, tears and sacrifices by Big Gordy and thousands like him.

Alistair McCoist, MBE, and a few others – hang your heads in absolute shame.