October 27 – Tributes are pouring following the death at 73 of Walter Smith, the former Scotland and Glasgow Rangers manager who won 21 trophies in an illustrious career.
Smith had been “battling illness,” Rangers chairman Douglas Park said in a statement announcing the news.
“It is almost impossible to encapsulate what Walter meant to every one of us at Rangers,” Park said. “He embodied everything that a Ranger should be. His character and leadership was second to none.”
Smith’s humbleness endeared him to a generation of coaches and players. He established Rangers, where he had two spells, as the country’s biggest force by winning seven straight league titles and 10 in all. He also took Rangers to the now defunct UEFA Cup final in 2008.
Smith became manager of the national team in 2004, returning to Rangers in 2007 after Scotland failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals. He also spent four years in the Premier League with Everton.
Sir Alex Ferguson said he was “absolutely devastated” by the news of Smith’s death, describing his former assistant at both Manchester United and Scotland as a “A special person”.
“He was a great friend of mine for years and years,” said Ferguson, 79. “In all that time you were dealing with a man with great moral compass in how he lived his life and the friendship he offered so many people. His contribution to football was immense.”
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