A Rangers fan who bagged three tickets to the UEFA cup last in Seville faces a determined race in opposition to time after discovering his passport has expired.
Robert Chapman, who had been planning to take his four-year-old son Angelo and teenage brother Callum, says he now looks like ‘the worst dad on the planet’ after having to interrupt the devastating information.
The 33-year-old couldn’t imagine his luck when he obtained an electronic mail on Friday telling him he was profitable within the ticket poll for Wednesday’s conflict in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 2 brothers had been each in Manchester when their beloved membership final made the European last in 1998 and hoped to recreate the magic second on Could 18.
However after delivering the incredible information to his youthful sibling Callum, 15, the Glasgow dad’s coronary heart sank when he checked the expiry date on his passport - which hasn't been used lately as a result of pandemic.
Robert is now battling to get a final minute precedence appointment with the Passport Workplace wherever within the UK in a bid to journey to Spain.
He stated: “Originally of the week, I assumed I had no probability and I wasn’t going to go to Seville.
“I used to be in Manchester all these years in the past for the final European last however, with my younger son, I didn’t fancy going over with out match tickets.
“However then I acquired the e-mail on the Friday afternoon saying there was a window to purchase. I didn’t suppose a lot of it as a result of these web sites crash fairly simply.
“Then rapidly, I managed to purchase three tickets. I assumed ‘Oh my God, I’ve acquired tickets to the ultimate’. I referred to as my younger brother - he was on the roof going psychological.
“It’s examination season for him simply now so he’s a bit wired as a result of he’s attempting to go to school so he was completely buzzing.
“However then I checked my passport and it went old-fashioned on the twenty sixth of March. You simply couldn’t make it up. I went from the most important excessive to the most important low.
“I’m beginning a brand new job on the finish of the month so that is the primary time in about 12 years the place I’ve acquired three weeks off. I’ve acquired on a regular basis on the planet.
“I’ve acquired balloted tickets for what is perhaps the most important recreation in my lifetime and rapidly, I’ve acquired an old-fashioned passport. I simply really feel just like the stupidest particular person on the planet.
“The passport was solely ever introduced out if I used to be going someplace however we’ve had two years of working and being unable to go wherever else, so it’s not been wanted.”
He added: “To me, Rangers and soccer is household. My younger brother is 15 and I’ve been taking him to Ibrox since he was two-years-old.
“I carried his pram into the stadium and I’ve taken him in all places. My son can be Rangers-daft to the purpose the place there was a video of him celebrating a purpose that went viral.
“He turns 5 on Thursday - the day after the match. I simply can’t consider a greater birthday current for him.
“I simply really feel just like the worst dad on the planet as a result of my passport’s old-fashioned.”
Robert spent over an hour standing outdoors the passport workplace in Glasgow on Saturday in a bid to attempt to get a final minute appointment.
And whereas he accepts that it could be a miracle to get him to Seville, he hopes to discover a method of getting his younger brother over to watching his staff play.
Robert added: “It’s not even about me at this level. It’s about my brother and my son. Each their passport are in date.
“Rangers have had a little bit of a mad ten years the place they’ve been method down and are available all the best way again up. So my youthful brother has grown up watching that.
“He was two-years-old when Rangers had been within the last in Manchester in 2008 and he went down with my mum. This time he may very well be going with an precise ticket.
“Even when my son and I can’t go, if I may discover a method to get my brother over, that might imply the world. Possibly the staff will take him on their airplane.
“I’ve been on the web site since Friday attempting to get a premium sooner or later appointment however nothing’s showing.
“I’m doing auto refresh on my laptop and my cellphone. I’ve used the webchat, the emails.
“My son and I've acquired a bag packed in case we now have to get in a automobile tomorrow, drive to someplace within the UK for a passport appointment, after which e-book right into a resort earlier than discovering our method to Seville from there.”
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