Club holds first Grand Iftar in 142-year history

A football club has hosted the first Grand Iftar event in its 142-year history.

On Thursday evening, Bristol Rovers Football Club opened the doors of the Memorial Stadium to local Muslims breaking their fast.

Iftar is the name given to the meal eaten after sunset to mark the end of another day of Ramadan, during which many Muslims abstain from food and drink during daylight hours.

Zayn Alime, the club's financial controller, came up with the idea for the event and told the BBC it was a "great opportunity to welcome new faces to the ground".

"People here have said it's their first time at the stadium so I thought what a great opportunity for them to come witness a stadium, come meet new people, meet the staff here, and feel more involved and more welcome," said Mr Alime.

Prayers were held during the event, with a meal served to dozens of people in a bid to celebrate the community around the stadium and give people who might be new to the club the chance to experience the environment.

Rovers midfielder Kamil Conteh said: "The reason we do it is to feel how people who don't have much go through every day without eating and drinking."

He added that Ramadan was an opportunity to "cleanse yourself", with Muslims also focusing on prayer and giving to charity.

"We all get blessed," he said.

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