Ibrox should be 'renamed Walter Smith Stadium' in tribute to legend, say mourning Rangers fans

Supporters, who had gathered outside the team's Govan park this afternoon to lay flags, flowers, and scarves, believe it would ensure their legendary manager is "always with them" and leave a lasting legacy for one of the club's most successful figures. 

During two Ibrox spells, Smith delivered ten league titles, scores of cups, and took the side to a UEFA Cup final. Tributes have been paid from across Scotland since it was confirmed by Rangers that he had passed away at the age of 73. 

Those who had braved the wind and the rain to pay their respects today were in no doubt about the importance of the East End raised boy. 

John Blair, 44, said: "You have your Sir Alex Fergusons and your Tommy Burns. These men are unique. 

"Walter Smith was just first class in everything he did and it shows the respect everyone had for him with the Celtic fans here today. 

"There will never be another Walter Smith. 

"Our father passed away seven months ago from Covid. It's just not often a father and son have the same role model. 

"He had respect and dignity. It said everything about the man that he carried Tommy Burns' coffin at the funeral. He transcended football. 

"The stadium should be named after him. A stand isn't enough."

For many gathered outside, they were clear: Smith's death felt like the loss of a family member. He's a man who was there in the 90s and for nine-in-a-row and returned in the mid-2000s when many childhood supporters had grown up and had families of their own. 

Andrew King, 44, said outside Ibrox: "He was a Rangers legend. There are not many bigger than the club but Walter Smith was close to that. 

"He was a manager, he was a father figure. He was everything you wanted and that was his art. 

"It's a sad day for the club today. The term legend is used a lot but it's appropriate today. 

"It feel like I've lost a family member. This morning I woke up devastated and was in tears. 

"This is just horrific. The Rangers supporters and football will come together. He was a football man. 

"Sometimes it goes beyond the colour of the shirt and that was appropriate with Walter Smith. He was as devastated as anyone when Tommy Burns died. 

"It's a loss to the game and to Rangers. 

"The Copland Road stand should be named after him. It means every game we are at he'll be with us."

At one point the sombre silence was broken by applause when Daniel Haggerty, a Celtic fan, made his way through the crowd to lay his own tribute. Like Burns', Smith's death transcended the football rivalry. 

The 21-year-old said: "He was a legend and a great man. A wife has lost her husband as well. 

Daniel Haggerty lays his tribute to Smith

"He was a great friend to Tommy Burns. A death is bigger than football. 

"He's a legend."