Exclusive: North Village sign deal with Glasgow Rangers

North Village have signed a five-year deal with Glasgow Rangers. 

The Bermuda club becomes just the fourth team to have an official affiliation with Rangers, with the other three being in New Zealand, Australia and the US. 

Stephen ‘PJ’ Coddington, director of North Village Community Club, told the Bermuda Sun: “We have had the privilege of signing with Rangers Football club for the next five seasons with an option to renew. Rangers will be our technical partner.”

The North Village director added the club had sent over 18 eight to 14-year-olds for the historic signing agreement.

Coddington said Rangers will help with Village’s coaching curriculum.

“They will ensure we are going about things in the right manner and the right way. They will be looking at how we can improve ourselves.”

He added every year Village will aim to take two youth teams to Rangers to train at their facilities. 

“If we can bring more, we will.”

Rangers will come to Bermuda at the end of the season in April to help with coaching education. 

“They will also do a camp, not only for North Village, but for the youth of Bermuda.”

Greg Statt, overseas development officer for Rangers,told the Bermuda Sun: “We’re working really hard to secure alliances with clubs across the world. We have kind of a natural alliance with the guys at North Village through Craig (Gardiner) and a Rangers fan.”

Statt said discussions about the alliance started in 2012. 

“This is a great opportunity for us to create some new Rangers fans in a new part of the world for us. No doubt we’ll learn from those guys as they will hopefully take on board some of the things we work on.”

He added the other benefit is that any of North Village’s talented players will have a pipeline to possibly sign with Rangers.

“We wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t recognizing talented players and use it as a potential source of scouting for us. 

“This is a win-win for everyone. We’d like to think Rangers and North Village will reap the benefits over the coming years.”