Stafford Rangers fans hailed as an inspiration to others by league chief

Northern Premier League chairman Mark Harris is hailing fans at Stafford Rangers for raising more than £50,000 in emergency funding.
The NPL Premier Division club's Stand Together campaign passed the milestone to reach  £50,597.60 by Tuesday, less than a month after the initiative kicked off to ensure the club can come through the coronavirus crisis with as little debt as possible.
NPL chief Harris congratulated supporters in a letter published by the club's proud officials on Tuesday after supporters successfully launched a series of fundraising initiatives including tickets for virtual matchday experiences.
Harris, who hopes their efforts will inspire other fans during football's lockdown, wrote: “Many congratulations to Stafford Rangers on breaking the £50,000 fund raising barrier! I am inspired by the innovative way in which the Rangers are reacting to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The share sale and virtual matchday experiences are superb ideas and it's wonderful to see Rangers fans and those who care about Non-League football coming together in this way. I hope that the Rangers' example will help other clubs to think creatively in keeping their clubs going until football can return.
“This is one of many fantastic initiatives being rolled out by our clubs and their incredible volunteers and supporters. To be fund raising and maintaining your profiles in your local communities is even more remarkable at a time when all traditional income channels have been severely impacted, if not wrecked completely.”
He added: No-one knows how long this will last, so it's more important than ever that – like the Rangers and its amazing fans – we all Stand together.”
Like all football below the National League's three divisions, the NPL's 2019/20 season was suspended in March because of the public health crisis before being null and voided by the Football Association.
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Images courtesy of The Non-League Paper & staffordrangersfc.co.uk