Refugee drawn to city by football heroes
BY COLETTE CRAMPSEY A REFUGEE from Sudan has told how he set up home in Glasgow – because he’s a huge Rangers fan.
Ahmed Ismail, 29, has been living in the city for three years after fleeing the troubled Darfur region of the African country.
The lifelong Gers fan, whose family are also big supporters of the club, was given a special tour of Ibrox – and he told Rangers TV that being there was a “dream”.
He said: “I arrived in 2015 as a refugee from Sudan, I was in danger there.
“I came here because I support Rangers – my whole family does. So when I was asked at Heathrow where I was going, straightaway I said Glasgow.”
Ahmed, who lives in the city’s Lambhill, struggled to find work at first.
He applied for 955 jobs after being granted leave to remain in the UK. He said: “When I was given leave to remain, I wanted to start working straightaway. I have always been a hard worker. But I struggled to get a chance.”
It was only in July of 2017, through Wheatley Group’s Changing Lives programme, that he landed a full-time job with a housing association.
Ahmed got his first chance to watch Rangers in person when his manager lent him his season ticket to Ibrox.
Ahmed keeps his family back home up to date with news about the club.
He added: “My mother is a teacher and my father is a dentist – and a Rangers fan.
“I miss my home, and I miss my people – but there are good people around me here too. They are so nice.”