A RANGERS fan says there has been an "overwhelming response" to his bid to create a volunteer army of tradesmen - despite having to field a number of offensive calls.
Semi-retired painter and decorator Allan Woods has amassed a list of 200 tradesmen and 500 unskilled volunteers to help refurbish Ibrox and the Murray Park training ground.
The internet initiative was launched by Mr Woods who says he has now been in consultation with Rangers' health and safety official over his dossier.
He said he has not slept since Monday when he launched his project orchestrated after Rangers kingpin Dave King indicated Ibrox might need millions of pounds spent on basic repairs.
It has previously been claimed it will cost £10 million for essential maintenance work for Ibrox and Murray Park.
He said after circulating details on forums amidst the genuine offers have been hundreds of calls "pulling my leg" over the plan, and a dozen "offensive and threatening" messages.
"There were a few unsavoury ones including 'people are willing to take undertaker work at the death dome' which I found particularly offensive ," he said.
That and others, he said related to the 1971 Ibrox disaster in which 66 football supporters were killed.
"There were maybe about a dozen really offensive calls," he said. "The majority, hundreds, were just banter."
"Some were threatening me and my family just for helping the team i supported all my life. I have never been a sectarian organisation in my life. I am just a quiet person doing my best for my football team, that's all."
Mr Woods believed the band of workers could save the club £5 million a year "by mucking in".
He said: "It is absolutely unbelievable the amount of tradesmen volunteering. It's companies too willing to do the work. Willing to work for nothing. It's massive.
"In 48 hours, I haven't slept. I have been answering the phone all day and all night.
"I have a master gilder who is willing to do the gold-plating on the lion rampants on either end of the stadium. He is providing the gold leaf.
"There's painters and decorators by the dozen, I have tilers, I have central heating engineers, I have just about every trade imaginable, all offering to work for nothing and my phone is still red hot.
"I have been a Rangers supporter all my days, my father also, and he is 84 and he still goes to the football, and his father before him. It's in our blood."
He said his father had been disappointed as he had been supporting a boycott of Ibrox since September, last year, in protest over the old board financial management.
"It means he couldn't get to the games either. But we returned to Ibrox for the first time on Tuesday night for the game against Queen of the South.
"When the board changed hands, I thought it was a good way to give the club back something after all the years I have been going there.
"I was only expecting 20 or 30 people to respond to it but it has turned into a massive thing."
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