Rangers hail their 'Secret Santa' siblings

Stafford Rangers might have to come up with a new club award to honour brothers Neil and Sid Kelly after revealing how their kind-hearted club men spent Christmas Day putting smiles back on the faces of sick children.

For the last eleven years the duo have become ‘Secret Santas’ over the festive period, delivering presents to children at Stafford Hospital, and the duo say they’ve no plans to stop after a heart-warming donation this year from a local toy shop.

Proud Rangers say Neil, a business adviser to the club’s board and Sid, the club’s kit man, take it in turns to dress up as Father Christmas to deliver presents to youngsters stuck in the children’s ward on the Shugborough Wing.

Normally they buy most of the presents themselves but this year were delighted to have an extra large Santa sack after Stafford’s Salter Street Toys & Models heard about their annual efforts and generously donated all the gifts on a list the pair secretly draw up with nurses!

The Evo-Stik Northern Premier League outfit’s Commercial Manager Stuart Maun said everyone at the Premier Division club was immensely proud of the brothers and their annual undercover mission.

He said: "When I heard about what Neil and Sid were doing, it truly touched me. I simply asked them what they were up to over Christmas and back came the response from them that they would be visiting sick children on Christmas Day!

"I thought this was so thoughtful and it really put the reality into what Christmas is all about. I hear that it was a very emotional visit for the lads, and even some of the nurses had to take a moment after seeing the reaction of some of the children with Santa on the day.

He added: "They both have hearts of gold, and genuinely think about others all of the time. I am proud to say they are very good friends of mine at the club."

Sid Kelly, 48, who played Santa this year, pictured, is already looking forward to next Christmas. "I'm looking forward to it already," he said. "It was such good fun and it was great being able to make Christmas Day memorable for children who might have missed out otherwise."

Sibling Neil, 41, added: "It is fantastic to arrange the visit each year. It gives you such a buzz. It is so important in our opinion that the visit takes place on Christmas Day. It really makes your Christmas just seeing the faces of the young patients when you walk in. It sends shivers down your spine.

"Christmas nowadays seems to be considered about quantity and quality of gifts - and has become very commercialised. But doing this brings it all back reality. The generosity of the owners of Salter Street Toys & Models was so unexpected and yet so much appreciated by myself and of course more so for the children."