Glasgow resident and Rangers supporter Ben Hood, 25, committed suicide on October 21, 2023, leaving his family and friends distraught. Ben was kind, smart, and altruistic, always willing to assist, and passionate about mental health. Ben also moderated RangersMedia, a major Rangers fan forum, as ben51, GabrielTomato, and Clemdog.
Fundraising Campaign for a Lasting Tribute
Following his death, his friends started a JustGiving effort to raise money for a shrine to be built at Ibrox Stadium, which was his “happy place”. The goal is to raise £10,000. This money will be given to charity in Ben’s name and used to make a sign, a brick or a place at the stadium with his name on it. Over £6,600 has been donated to the cause, and hundreds of words of support and sympathy have been sent from Ben’s family and friends, as well as Rangers fans.
Maxine’s Heartfelt Plea
Maxine, Ben’s partner, thanked everyone who had given and helped with the effort. She said she was “blown away” by how kind and generous the Rangers community was. She said Ben would have been “over the moon” to know how much people loved and missed him. Maxine also said that having a memorial at Ibrox would have been “honourable” for him. She also told everyone who is having mental health problems to talk to someone and get the help they need and also said that Ben would always be in her heart.
Ben’s Impact Beyond Football
Ben Hood was a die-hard Rangers fan who loved seeing his team play at Ibrox Stadium. A big part of RangersMedia, where he talked about and debated the club and its players, was also RangersMedia. Many of his fans looked up to and appreciated him. They called him a “true gentleman,” a “legend,” and a “great guy.”
Ben cared strongly about mental health problems and helping other people. He was also kind and generous. He worked as a support worker for people with learning disabilities and had helped for Samaritans, an organisation that helps people who are upset or thinking about suicide. Besides that, he was honest about his own battles with anxiety and sadness and told others to get help and talk about their feelings.
His family and friends were shocked when Ben died so quickly; they had no idea he was in so much pain. He had been “the happiest he had ever been” in the days before he killed himself, according to his partner Maxine. He had not left a note or any other clues and made her “the happiest girl in the world” and she called him “the most amazing person” she had ever met.
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The Rangers Community Responds
The effort to raise money for Ben Hood’s memorial is still going on. The JustGiving page is where people can give or leave a message. The people running the campaign said they would keep the page up to date with information about the memorial and how the campaign is going once they had hit their goal and talked to the Rangers Football Club. Additionally, they declared that they would donate any extra funds to the family of Ben’s choice for a mental health charity.
