RYAN BAIRD MEMORY KEPT ALIVE BY RANGERS LEGEND FERNANDO RICKSEN

IT was an emotional moment as Fernando Ricksen presented the fiancée of Rangers bus crash victim Ryan Baird with a mirrored portrait in his honour.
Glasgow dad of two Ryan was on the way to the Rangers game against Patrick Thistle in October last year when their Nith Valley Loyal Rangers supporters bus crashed near Kilmarnock.
Heartbroken Sarah Hughes who turned up to see Fernando with her friend Billy McLeod from the club, couldn't hold back the tears as she accepted the gift in Ryan's honour and later said: "Everything has just been so overwhelming and the support we've had from everybody has been amazing. I just love the picture and I'll make sure I find a great space for it."
Fernando, who has invited Sarah and her family to be guests of honour at his forthcoming charity march in Fleetwood with a team of legends said: "The Nith Valley supporters club have always been there for me and I wanted to give something back. No one expected to go to a football match and not come home."
The former Rangers player who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease was joined by his fellow Rangers veterans including Derek Ferguson, John Macdonald and Bob Malcolm as fans launched two special Rangers Legends strips in his honour.
The Ibrox hero was at the Stonefield Tavern in Blantyre for the launch of the two strips which will be sold to raise funds for the Fernando Ricksen Foundation.
They will also be used in charity matches like the forthcoming Rangers Legends versus England Select match in Fleetwood's Highbury Stadium on March 25.
The two strips - in red and blue - were designed by Fernando himself and feature his national colours.
Fernando was in high spirits as he joked with some of his oldest friends and Derek Ferguson paid tribute to him saying he was one of the most colourful characters in football. He said: "They don't make them like Fernando anymore."
Bob Malcolm added: "When Fernando first came to Rangers he was Dutch and quiet and then he came out of his shell as he got to know the people. It's great these strips wil be brought out at every game and give Fernando and his charity the recognition they deserve."


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

BBC AWARD WINNER RM HUBBERT APPEALS FOR SUPPORT

FORMER Scottish Album of the Year winner RM Hubbert admitted he has been at an all time low after his depression stopped him from earning money.
Forty two year old Robert McArthur Hubbert affectionately known as Hubby picked up the prestigious award in 2013 and appears in new film Lost In France with his record label mates from Chemikal Underground.
This week he revealed he's been experiencing a tough twelve months after his illness got the better of him.
In a plea to his fans he wrote: "Basically, I haven't been coping well. My mental health deteriorated dramatically during last year after Telling the Trees came out, reaching breaking point this January when I finally did what I have always found hardest; I asked for help. The mental health crisis team at NHS South Ayrshire looked after me and did fucking brilliant job of it. I owe them my life. I'm getting better again. I've moved back to Glasgow to be closer to the many people that love and support me.
He added: "And now to the crux. The illness has stopped me working for the best part of a year. My savings are gone and I'm whilst I'm getting better, I'm not emotionally stable enough to return to a normal job. I'm slowly returning to music full time but in the meantime, I need to ask you for a little help."
Robert then put a plea on his social media asking people if they could buy a copy of his covers EP and let others know of his difficulties.
Since his appeal yesterday he's been inundated with responses online and lots of people have purchased his music.
He told fans: "Its been insane. I can't believe how generous you all are. Thank you so, so much. Apologies for not replying to all the messages, there's too many to handle right now. I will get into them tomorrow. I f***ing love you all."



- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

PETITION STARTED TO SAVE IRN BRU

A Petition has been started up by lovers of Irn Bru to keep their recipe intact despite growing pressure from the government.
The Cumbernauld-based firm, which also makes Rubicon and Tizer, said it would cut Irn Bru's sugar content from about 10g per 100ml to just below 5g.
It will reduce the calorie count per can from just under 140 to about 66.
AG Barr said the move was part of a "long-standing sugar reduction programme".
The UK government plans to introduce a levy on sugary drinks in April 2018.
Now a group of Irn Bru lovers are asking people to sign a petition to stop the plans.
They wrote: "In the light of the recently implemented ridiculous sugar tax by the UK Government WE the undersigned demand that AG Barr drinks retain the ORIGINAL AND BEST recipe for regular Irn Bru. We ALL should be allowed to eat and drink what we like without being dictated or controlled, the UK Government should focus on investing in education at schools on sugary foods and drinks but we ALL should be allowed to make our own choice! Please sign and share your support for this petition and email Barr's at http://www.agbarr.co.uk/contact-us/general-enquiries/ Together we can stop the worlds best soft drink from being changed! Also Barr's already have TWO sugar free versions of Irn Bru, and I my opinion are disgusting. Don't destroy Scotland's National drink Barr's! Please also use the hashtag on Twitter and Facebook #SaveOurBru"
So far 150 people have signed the petition which can be found at:
https://www.change.org/p/http-www-agbarr-co-uk-contact-us-general-enquiries-barr-s-must-keep-the-original-and-best-irn-bru-recipe-please-sign-and-share



- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

HONEY G GETS DOWN WITH THR DREAMMAKER KIDS ON SCOTS X FACTOR TOUR

X Factor's Honey G gave some high fives and big hugs to terminally ill 12 year old Mark 'Sparky' Gallagher before taking to the stage for the X Factor tour in Glasgow.
The rapper joined winner Matt Terry, Scots contestants Emily Middlemas and Ryan Lawrie and other finalists to meet up with a party of kids from the Les Hoey MBE Dreammaker Foundation at Braehead Arena before taking to the stage.


The sick kids included Ashlee Easton, 10, from Falkirk who has neuroblastoma and Nathan Mowat, six from Greenock who has Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and Isla Aitken who has just finished treatment for leukaemia.



As well as giving them goody bags with caps and badges in them, the celebs spent some time chatting with the kids.
Emily said: "Its such an amazing surprise from the Dreammaker Foundation and we've got a handshake going on. It's so nice to see Sparky and everyone. We're having a lovely time on tour."
Afterwards Sparky's mum Michelle Gallagher said: "Sparky was absolutely thrilled to meet his hero Honey G. His wee brother came too. He has a brain tumour and was recently in hospital for pancreatitis surgery. Things like this just keep him going."


Ashlee's mum Isla added: "Ashlee has just had a relapse and we find it hard to plan things so it was lovely when Les and Angela from the Dreammaker Foundation got us tickets for this. Ashlee absolutely loved it and is hyper. She loves the X factor and music and singing and dancing and Emily Middlemas remember her from when she recorded a Christmas single with others for the charity."
Nathan's mum Jill added: "It was a wee escape from treatment and a real treat. It's great to have some normality and something positive in negative situations and Nathan just loved it. Les and the foundation do amazing work."




- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

OUTLANDER STAR SAM HEUGHAN GOES FOR POST OSCAR WORKOUT

OUTLANDER star Sam Heughan admitted he had to sweat off his excesses by flying out his Glasgow gym instructor to the States following a trip to the Oscars with Caitriona Balfe.
The Scots born hottie admitted more than a few drinks may well have been consumed at the bash - and he was keen to get them out of his system.
Sam was so keen to keep in shape that he got his personal trainer coach John Valbonesi from the fitness facility in Port Dundas to come to California with him.
As the two did a workout in Santa Monica gym he told fans: "Post Oscar party sweat fest...Cheers Valbo Ugh.
He also told William Shatner, tongue placed firmly in cheek: "No champagne was consumed. At. All."
Sam has been a regular at the Everyday Athlete Gym and launched his charity fitness fundraiser My Peak Challenge there in 2014 with Valbonesi.


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

SCOTS LET IT SHINE FINALIST MARK ANGELS TALKS LUXURY LIFESTYLE

SCOTS Let It Shine contestant Mark Angels says he's happy to be back home after an intense time in the competition - even though he was staying in a plush penthouse with its own pool.
Eat Kilbride lad Mark, who is now laid down with the cold after an intense eight weeks recording the show, revealed: "I'm actually happy everything went the way it did. It was so intense towards the end and although I loved the experience and will for the rest of my life I've got some other plans which I'll reveal shortly."
Mark who caught up with his family on his return said it was a real experience living in London with the rest of his band Drive.


He said: "We were staying in this incredible flat in Knightsbridge with its own pool, tennis courts and gym. It even had a reception desk. We never got a chance to use it though because we were always so busy going out and rehearsing."
He added: "Some of the boys took it in turns to cook and then as the programme got more intense they gave us our meals in between the rehearsals."
Mark said he loved the experience and got chatty with Dannie Minogue afterwards.
He said: "I got high praises from all the judges. Dannii told me I was great and that I should keep doing what I do. All the judges were amazing."
"We had a great wrap party and Graeme Norton wished me all the best too."
Mark also revealed he knew Scots contestant Jordan Harvey before the show because the two boys went to uni together.
He said: "It was nice to hear another Scottish voice on the show."


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com

BLIND SIDE ACTOR PRAISES GLASGOW CABS ON SCOTTISH FILM FEST VISIT

THE Blind Side actor Quinton Aaron says he thinks Glasgow cabs are the best because he can fit into them no problem.
The six foot eight actor from the Oscar winning movie with Sandra Bullock was in Scotland for a few days after the European Premiere of his new film Halfway at the Glasgow Film Festival.
Speaking at a reception in the new iMetaFilm office, which digitises old films, he said: "One of the coolest things I've seen in Glasgow is that the taxis are huge here. We got into the taxi and I stepped in the taxi, standing up before sitting down. I was like
'Are you serious?'."
He added: "Scotland smells and looks pretty cool. I see parts of downtown that remind me of different States back home. You get that same feel almost of New York here that I've seen, people just on the move, walking in front of cars."
Halfway tells the story of a black man who had recently been released from prison and working in the white heartland of a family fame in Wisconsin.
It is produced by Edinburgh born Jonny Patterson.


Quinton said: "Jonny is cool. He's like my little little brother. He's super cool to work with and I spent the whole process trying to mimic his accent."


- Posted with love from Scotland by theShowbizLion.com