Rangers legend Walter Smith lived a footballing life like few others
Walter Smith lived a footballing life like few others after creating glorious memories at Rangers, succeeding with Scotland and working alongside Sir Alex Ferguson – a look back at his career after his death aged 73
- Former Rangers, Scotland and Everton boss Walter Smith has died aged 73
- Smith enjoyed a footballing life like few others and made glorious memories
- As a player, he was a tough, no-nonsense defender but also stayed pragmatic
- He carved out a name for himself as a rookie coach and took up several roles
- After, Smith headed to Ibrox and went on to enjoy success as their manager
- Smith also took charge of Scotland, Everton and worked at Manchester United
Walter Smith, the former Rangers and Scotland manager, has sadly died aged 73, his former club announced today.
One of the most important figures in Ibrox history, Smith won 10 league titles as their boss over two different spells – including seven in a row during a historic run.
He also coached Everton between 1998 and 2002, and was Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United in 2004, helping them to win the FA Cup that season.
‘It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our former manager, chairman and club legend, Walter Smith,’ Rangers have said in an official statement.
Here, Sportsmail‘s JOHN GREECHAN has paid tribute to the legendary Smith by casting his eye back across his illustrious life in football.
Walter Smith, the legendary former Rangers and Scotland boss, has tragically died aged 73
THE PLAYER
Growing up in the working-class Glasgow suburb of Carlyle, turning out for Chapelhall or Bishopbriggs Amateurs, when he wasn’t paying his way into Ibrox to see the team his grandfather had introduced him to, a young Walter Smith was a tough, no-nonsense defender.
Whatever dreams he might have nurtured about becoming a professional footballer, though, were balanced by a sense of pragmatism – sensible in an age when even elite players weren’t set for life.
So he signed up for an apprenticeship as an electrician, studying at Coatbridge Technical College while stepping up to the juniors with Ashfield.
Even when he signed for Dundee United, he persuaded Tannadice boss Jerry Kerr to let him carry on learning a trade.
Kerr obliged, enabling Smith leave his training at Dalmarnock Power Station to take up a position with Louden Brothers on Tayside.
He made over 120 appearances for United over two spells, with a short stint at Dumbarton in-between, working under both Kerr and then Jim McLean.
A tough, no-nonsense defender, Smith’s time as a footballer was balanced out by pragmatism
THE ROOKIE COACH
Late in his own playing career, Smith was spotted as a coach of enormous potential by no less a judge of talent than McLean himself.
Remembered as a disciplinarian by his former players at Tannadice, Walter played a key role as assistant manager during United’s most successful period.
He was also carving out a name for himself in SFA coaching circles, taking up roles with the Scotland Under-18 and Scotland Under-21 sides.
And he was assistant to Alex Ferguson, who had taken on the senior Scotland job on an interim basis following the death of Jock Stein, at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Smith was spotted as a coach with potential late in his playing career, and was a disciplinarian
SOUNESS AND THE LURE OF IBROX
Graeme Souness wanted to move into management. He was really excited by the prospect of carrying on playing, too, in the dual role offered to him by Ibrox powerbrokers Lawrence Marlborough and David Holmes in 1986.
But he knew that he needed a proper coach with an eye for detail as his assistant.
Someone with enough wit and wisdom to take charge from the touchline when Souness was tearing around midfield – and a willingness to disagree with the ‘gaffer’ if he felt strongly about something.
Together, Souness and Smith made a brilliant partnership, making big-name signings and laying the foundations for incredible success.
Former Rangers and Northern Ireland international defender Jimmy Nicholl, in his second spell at Ibrox when the revolution took place, said: ‘It was a canny move by Graeme, getting Walter – because everyone knew he was one of the best coaches in Scotland at the time.’
Players of that era recall Smith taking most of the training, leaving team talks to Souness – but augmenting them with individual instructions.
Capable of letting rip at players either in one-to-one rants or group dressing-downs, Walter also developed a knack for knowing when to play good cop to the manager’s bad.
He was assistant to Graeme Souness (right) at Rangers, and took over when he left in 1991
STEPPING UP – AND MAKING IT LOOK EASY
When Souness was tempted away from Ibrox to take the Liverpool job, he wanted Smith to join him at Anfield.
Smith, who has since joked that turning Souness down might have ended up with him ‘working back at Dalmarnock Power Station’, didn’t feel it was the right move for him.
A surprise appointment by David Murray, considering some of the big names linked with the job, his promotion was welcomed by players who respected his tactical and technical knowledge – as well as his obvious man management skills.
After a wobbly start, Smith securing the title in just his fourth game as gaffer – beating Aberdeen in a final-day fixture at Ibrox, when a draw would have seen the Dons crowned champions – was a huge moment for both club and manager.
What followed, from Nine In A Row to coming within touching distance of the Champions League Final, is rightly regarded as the greatest era in club history.
Smith was a surprise appointment at Rangers, but he secured the title in only his fourth match
LIFE AFTER RANGERS
Smith announced his intention to stand down early in his final – or so he thought – season at Ibrox.
The pressure of trying to make history with a tenth consecutive title had been enormous and, with a number of players reaching the latter stages of their career, it felt like a natural end point.
But retirement? Within a month of losing the title on the final day of the season, Smith was back in management.
Smith (right) did a good job at Everton, and he also enjoyed competing in the Premier League
And, although taking charge of Everton might have been a step down in terms of competing for silverware and sparring in Europe, he did a good job.
There were elements of life at Goodison that he found difficult to manage, most notably the boardroom leadership of the club; chairman Peter Johnson’s inability or unwillingness to level with him about an increasingly dire financial situation left Smith deeply frustrated.
But he enjoyed the management side of competing in the Premier League. He liked being away from ‘all of that’, as he once described the intensity of the Old Firm.
Working with an ever-decreasing budget that saw – to pick just one example – Duncan Ferguson sold to Newcastle without his knowledge, he still laid a lot of the groundwork for the David Moyes era. That didn’t save him being removed from his post in March 2002.
Sir Alex Ferguson called Smith to run his experienced eye over Manchester United in 2004
There then followed a lull in the Smith coaching career, some well-deserved family time interrupted by Sir Alex Ferguson calling his old colleague in to run his experienced eye over Manchester United in March 2004.
Fergie wasn’t just doing a favour for an old pal. Far from it. The veteran United boss needed someone who could identify – and fix – problems in a misfiring side who had lost Rio Ferdinand to a lengthy ban and were close to surrendering their league title to Arsenal.
The Red Devils ended the season as FA Cup winners, thanks in no small part to Smith’s contribution.
NATIONAL SERVICE
Smith had previously rejected the opportunity to leave Everton in order to take on the job of Scotland head coach.
When Berti Vogts was finally relieved of his duties, though, a partnership between the veteran gaffer and his national team made perfect sense.
And it worked. Scotland became better, harder to beat, more professional and more organised.
Scotland became better, harder to beat, more professional and more organised under Smith
With old sparring partner and close friend Tommy Burns as part of his backroom staff, Smith achieved plenty in a short space of time.
We beat France at Hampden in a game forever remembered for Arsene Wenger’s favourite bon mots about the visitors being ‘trapped by their own domination.’
Under his leadership, Scotland won seven, drew five and lost only four times, giving Smith the best success percentage of any national team boss in the modern era.
Had Walter stayed at the helm, might we have waited quite so long to end our absence from a major finals?
RECALLED BY RANGERS
Within minutes of Paul le Guen being axed by Rangers in January 2007, the dogs in the street of Mount Florida could have told SFA office bearers to bundle Walter Smith into a back room at Hampden, lock the doors, turn out the lights and disconnect the phones.
He was the obvious choice. The only choice for Sir David Murray, who – in all fairness to the SFA – had to make a couple of attempts before getting permission to make an official offer to their prime candidate.
Why did Smith go back, when it was obvious that the financial firepower of his first Ibrox reign was well and truly a thing of the past?
Smith was the obvious choice to take charge at Rangers again, and he felt the club needed him
Because he felt that the club needed him. Needed someone who understood the Scottish game. Needed a steadying hand on the tiller.
He set about building a team. Not just a collection of players, but a cohesive unit.
The top-flight title was already gone when he arrived – and Rangers had been knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Dunfermline.
In came Davie Weir to solidify the defence.
Setting about building a team, Smith then cemented his reputation as an extraordinary coach
Out went a lot of Le Guen signings like Filip Sebo, Libor Sionko and Karl Svensson.
Having rebuilt his team from the ground up, what came next – a run all the way to the UEFA Cup Final the following season – cemented Smith’s reputation as a manager capable of inspiring players to perform beyond all expectations.
They didn’t win the league but did end the season by lifting the Scottish Cup.
He made glorious memories over two Rangers spells and lived a footballing life like few others
Rangers did the League and Cup double in 2008-09, then won the title – and the League Cup – the following season.
Smith clinched a third straight league title triumph in season 2010-11, his team winning 5-1 at Rugby Park to clinch the championship in his last game at the helm.
His finally tally over two spells as Rangers boss? Just the 21 major honours. Teams built and rebuilt. Glorious memories created. A footballing life like few others.
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